Russia, China reject Western ‘militarisation’ of Asia-Pacific

Russia, China reject Western ‘militarisation’ of Asia-Pacific
Chinese and Russian flags fly in Tianjin, China August 31, 2025
Reuters

Russia and China said on Friday they oppose what they described as Western efforts to militarise the Asia-Pacific region, vowing closer coordination with Southeast Asian countries to address emerging security challenges.

In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Beijing, where both sides criticised plans to deploy NATO-standard military infrastructure in the region and attempts to impose so-called Indo-Pacific strategies.

Moscow and Beijing said they aim to strengthen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations amid what they called the growing spread of selective military and political alliances.

The talks also covered regional developments in Myanmar, Afghanistan, the Korean Peninsula and northeast Asia, as well as broader bilateral cooperation.

A separate meeting on Thursday between Rudenko and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin focused on China-Russia ties and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation affairs. China’s Foreign Ministry said both sides agreed relations continued to gain momentum in 2025 under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin.

Russia estimates bilateral trade with China will exceed $220 billion in 2025, a relationship that has drawn criticism from Western countries since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.

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