Moscow will not give up its good relations with Beijing just to please the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has indicated.
“We will not worsen our relations with China just to make the Americans happy," Lavrov said, speaking on Russian Channel One’s programme The Great Game. According to the diplomat, countries should work to improve cooperation with one another, instead of using "sanctions and ultimatums" to try to reach their objectives.
The foreign minister noted that during his recent meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in October, the US geostrategist spoke to him about his recent book on China, expressing the sentiment that the United States would like to achieve a situation in which its relations with both Moscow and Beijing were better than those between China and Russia at present.
Lavrov argued that despite a level of economic development that was comparable to the United States, China behaves itself in a completely different way on the world stage.
“China uses its economic power in accordance with the rules established during the time of Bretton Woods – the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank,” Lavrov said.
“Perhaps the fathers of the current globalization are offended that they are being beaten under the rules they themselves established. That’s life – competition, a free market, the rules established at Bretton Woods still exist. Attempts are made to modernize them; this is taking place in the WTO, etc. As President Putin has repeatedly said, Russia and China have no plans to create a military alliance. But politically, in terms of upholding international law, polycentricity in international relations, we are of course allies,” he stressed.
‘Invincible Mutual Trust’
Speaking to Foreign Minister Lavrov by phone last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed confidence that “mutual trust between Russia and China is invincible,” adding that bilateral relations were excellent and that Beijing was ready for continued close cooperation with Moscow with the aim of “maintaining international peace and stability.”
Last month, Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng said he shared President Putin’s belief that US efforts to curb Russia and China’s international political and economic influence were “destined to fail.”
Relations between China have improved considerably after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The two countries signed a Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation in 2001, and have actively cooperated in both bilateral and multilateral formats such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
