Monitoring Desk
MOSCOW: Russian minister for foreign affairs Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that the US was attempting to “contain” both Moscow and Beijing with the assistance of other countries, but Russia and China were alert to Washington’s “games”.
He told a news conference that the West saw both countries as a threat – Moscow right now, and Beijing in the longer term as a systemic rival. The foreign minister said the US was not powerful enough to keep in check both Moscow and Beijing at once, so was mobilizing European countries, Japan, and others to join it.
Moscow-Beijing-Washington
At the same time, Sergei Lavrov said, the West was trying to drive a slice between China and Russia. “The West is making attempt to sow discord in our ties…Russia and China see all these games,” the Russian top diplomat said.
Relations with China had never been stronger, the Russian minister said, and the two sides were shifting an increasing volume of their trade into their national currencies in order to decrease dependence on the Western countries and exposure to sanctions.
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Sergei Lavrov added the West was looking for more and more means to annoy Beijing. He said that the Western countries have already outlined their positions on Taiwan, which are categorically unacceptable for Beijing and international law, they are looking for more opportunities to irritate China in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
He remarked that therefore, Beijing is aware that remaining in the Western system and totally dependent on it (West) is tense with very serious risks for the key national interests of China’s development.
