RUSSIA, CHINA SEEK TO FORM ASIA-PACIFIC COLLECTIVE SECURITY SYSTEM — DEFENSE MINISTER
Russia
November 18, 15:28 UTC+3
Russia and China are concerned over US attempts to strengthen its
military and political clout in the Asia-Pacific Region
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu during minitary parade rehearsal
in Moscow, May 2014
(c) ITAR-TASS/Sergey Bpbulev
(c) AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Putin: strengthening ties with China top priority for Russia
BEIJING, November 18. /TASS/. Defense ministries of Russia and China
seek to form a regional collective security system in the Asia-Pacific
region, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday after
talks with his Chinese counterpart Colonel General Chang Wanquan
in Beijing.
According to the Russian defense minister, Russia and China are
concerned over US attempts to strengthen its military and political
clout in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR).
“During talks with Comrade Chang Wanquan, we discussed the state and
prospects of the Russian-Chinese relations in the military field,
exchanged opinions on the military-political situation in general
and the APR in particular,” Shoigu said.
“We also expressed concern over US attempts to strengthen its military
and political clout in the APR,” he said. “We believe that the main
goal of pooling our effort is to shape a collective regional security
system.”
Russia, China to hold joint naval drills in Pacific, Mediterranean
in 2015
Sergey Shoigu announced that Russia and China will hold joint naval
drills in the Pacific and in the Mediterranean in 2015.
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Touching upon his talks with Chang Wanquan, Shoigu said the sides
expressed satisfaction that the spectrum of joint activities in the
defense sphere “has visibly expanded and gained a systemic character.”
In May, Russia and China conducted third Joint Sea naval exercises,
he noted.
In 2014, China’s teams took part in the tank biathlon world
championship and international pilot competition Aviadrafts that were
held in Russia. “Chinese servicemen demonstrated the high competitive
spirit and skills,” the Russian defense minister said, adding that
such events were “a good format for exchange of experience.”
“We have vast potential of cooperation in the defense sphere, and
the Russian side is ready to develop it is a wide range of areas,”
he added.
Strengthening ties with China is Russia’s top priority
Shoigu said strengthening and expanding ties with China remains
Russia’s overriding priority.
“Amid a highly volatile world situation, it becomes particularly
important to strengthen reliable good-neighbourly relations between
our countries,” Shoigu said at talks with his Chinese counterpart
General Chang Wanquan.
“This is not only an important factor for security of states but also
a contribution to peace and stability on the Eurasian continent and
beyond,” he said, adding that “regular private meetings between the
leaders of Russia and China give a powerful impetus to development
of bilateral partnership”.
The minister noted that next year marks the 70th anniversary of the
Allied victory in WWII. “The peoples of our countries took heavy
casualties in it,” Shoigu said. “Russia’s and China’s solidarity is
of principal importance amid attempts to falsify history and glorify
fascism.”
A wide range of events is being planned to celebrate this date,
both bilaterally and with counterparts from the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO), a security grouping comprising Russia, China and
the Central Asian former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Shoigu said.
Russia and China also started to regularly hold joint naval and
anti-terrorism drills, the minister said, adding that the countries’
military forces “showed a high level of cooperation” during an
operation to escort vessels carrying Syria’s chemical weapons. Much
work was also done during this year’s joint Naval Interaction exercises
in the East China Sea, he said.
Shoigu stressed that the two countries maintain high level of military
and technical cooperation, noting that issues of that cooperation were
“under constant review by our heads of state”.
From: Baghdasarian