Russia, China to jointly “tackle threats”
June 7, 2014, 9:47 am

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev in Beijing, China, June 6, 2014 [Xinhua]

Xi met Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, in Beijing on Friday and said the two allies have agreed to enhance “strategic communication and coordination and deepen cooperation in a range of fields including diplomacy, the economy, defense and counter-terrorism”, state media reports said.

“There is a growing need to accelerate the implementation of the initiative of Russian President [Vladimir Putin]  to establish a universal center to counter modern challenges and threats to security on the basis of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Regional Counterterrorist Structure. We are grateful to China for its support of our efforts in this direction,” Patrushev said.

This was the 10th round of Russian-Chinese consultations on strategic security.

Beijing said it will work with Moscow to “tackle threats, and safeguard their sovereignty, security and development interests”.

The increased activity of terrorist groups in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China in recent months is not accidental, according to the secretary of the Russian Security Council. “We have expressed our condolences to our Chinese friends concerning the tragic terrorist attacks that occurred in this autonomous region of China,” Patrushev said.

Beijing and Moscow are stepping up security ties even as China’s confrontation with neighbours on territorial disputes grow in the South China Sea and in the East China Sea with Japan.

Meanwhile, China has refused to participate in an arbitration process after a Hague-based tribunal asked Beijing to submit evidence defending its territorial claims in the South China Sea against the Philippines.

On Friday, Xi told Putin’s envoy that the Russian President’s visit to China in May was a “success” and that Beijing appreciated Russia’s participation during last month’s Asia security summit in Shanghai, which had achieved “satisfying results”.

Patrushev said Russia will continue to implement the consensus between Xi and Putin. The top leadership of the two nations have prioritized this strategic partnership in their foreign policy.

“China and Russia’s strategic coordination has reached a very high level and has continued to develop. I agree that the bilateral meeting between Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month was significant. The two meetings here, on law enforcement and strategic security consultation are practical discussions on what our two leaders agreed in Shanghai,” said Patrushev.

China and Russia inked fifty agreements last month in Shanghai during the CICA summit.

The Russian security council official also met China’s State Councilor Yang Jiechi during the latest round of strategic security consultations.

“We have achieved a lot of consensus during your visit here. We have made considerable headway in the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, and I believe this security consultation will have a positive impact for both countries and beyond,” state councilor Yang Jiechi said.

In a press release after the talks, China and Russia said they should advocate and practice the principles of the UN Charter in international relations, and promote world and regional peace, stability and development.

TBP and Agencies