Russia, China to Work on ‘Double Counteracting’ US-Led Alliance

(Bloomberg) — Russia and China agreed to start a dialogue on Eurasian security with the aim of “double counteracting” the European-Atlantic alliance led by the US.

“We have a common goal of increasing security in Eurasia,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday at a press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. “We agreed with our Chinese friends to start a dialogue and get other like-minded countries to join us.” Lavrov added that Wang proposed the idea of “double counteracting” the US and its allies in response to the “double deterrence” of Western countries against Russia and China.

China on Monday said it hasn’t sought to benefit from Russia’s war in Ukraine after the US warned allies that Beijing has stepped up its support for Moscow, including by providing geospatial intelligence, to help it in its invasion of the neighboring ex-Soviet state.

President Joe Biden raised concerns about the matter with Xi Jinping during their recent call, the White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen underscored the urgency of the issue during her visit to China, saying that its banks and exporters should not bolster Russia’s military capacity. She warned “they will face significant consequences if they do.”

Lavrov also said Russia and China confirmed there is no prospect of holding meetings to settle the conflict with Ukraine when Russia’s positions are ignored, a reference to a planned June peace conference in Switzerland backed by Kyiv. Ukraine’s allies see China’s presence at such a conference as important for making the initiative successful.

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