China and Russia band together to counter US

BEIJING — China and Russia have vowed to strengthen bilateral military cooperation and hold joint naval exercises to counter United States influence in the Asia-Pacific region as a growing chorus of voices warns of a looming “new Cold War”.

During a visit to Beijing where he met his Chinese counterpart and Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the two sides “expressed our concern with the US attempts to reinforce its military political influence in the Asia-Pacific region”, Chinese and Russian state media reported.

“Our cooperation in the military spheres has great potential and the Russian side is ready to develop it across the broadest possible spectrum of areas,” Mr Shoigu added. “We see the formation of a collective regional security system as the primary objective of our joint efforts.”

The Russian delegation also drew a parallel between the current pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong and the so-called “colour revolutions” in former Soviet states, including Ukraine, which China and Russia blame on instigation from the US and its allies.

Mr Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister, even seemed to suggest Moscow would be willing to help Beijing tackle the peaceful protests in Hong Kong.

“We have taken note of the events that recently took place in Hong Kong and the two ministers acknowledged that not a single country can feel insured against colour revolutions,” Mr Antonov said, according to Russian state media.

“We believe that Russia and China should work together to oppose this new challenge to our states’ security.”

The two sides agreed to hold joint naval exercises, their fourth in recent years, in the Mediterranean next spring, to be followed by further exercises in the Pacific.

As fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s neighbours fret over Moscow’s rising belligerence, Beijing has described Sino-Russian relations as the best they have been.

The current situation in Europe prompted former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to warn last week that the world was on the brink of a new Cold War, a sentiment echoed by Belarusian officials on Tuesday.

Facing the prospect of fresh sanctions from the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to move closer to China to demonstrate he has economic and strategic options and is not completely isolated on the global stage.

China’s authoritarian leaders have welcomed the overtures as they also make more strident territorial claims in the East and South China Seas and seek to face down smaller neighbours and Japan, its World War II enemy.

However, both sides remain wary of getting too close and have trouble overcoming a long history of mutual mistrust and contempt, said Chinese and Western experts who monitor the relationship.

For all the talk of closer military ties and joint exercises, Russia has so far refused to sell its most advanced military technology, including jet engines and fighter aircraft, to China.

Beijing has sought to balance closer ties with Moscow, with greater cooperation with the US and its allies, while Mr Putin has sought to boost relations with Tokyo, much to China’s dismay.

While the Russian Defence Minister was meeting his Chinese counterpart Chang Wanquan on Tuesday, a top Chinese Communist party official was visiting Finland, which is on high alert for any sign of Russian encroachment.

At the same time, a top-level delegation from North Korea met Mr Putin in the Kremlin amid speculation the country’s leader Kim Jong-un would make a first overseas visit as leader to Russia, rather than to China, its traditional ally.

Chinese officials say ties between Pyongyang and Beijing have reached an all-time low since Mr Kim took over the hermit kingdom and particularly since he executed his uncle, Mr Jang Song-thaek, who was seen as China’s key contact in the country.

During the Defence Minister’s visit, Russia’s Federal Space Agency also discussed closer cooperation with China, which is interested in building Russian rocket engines and joining manned space exploration, remote sensing and navigation satellite projects, said Russian state media. THE FINANCIAL TIMES