China Seeks Stronger Asia-Pacific Coordination With Russia To Focus On Regional Stability

China recently called for stronger coordination with Russia in Asia-Pacific affairs. The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Sun Weidong, emphasized the need for joint efforts to maintain regional security, stability, and development.

What Happened: Sun, during his visit to Moscow, stressed the importance of China and Russia playing a more significant role in ensuring stability in the region amid global changes, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

He also expressed China’s willingness to enhance strategic coordination with Russia in international multilateral platforms. Sun’s discussions in Moscow included the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic, international security, and defense organization established by China and Russia in 2001. His itinerary also involved a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

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While the specifics of the discussions were not disclosed, Sun voiced China’s support for Russia’s BRICS presidency this year. Russia took over the presidency for 2024 at Brazil’s request and plans to host the BRICS Summit in the city of Kazan in October.

Why It Matters: The call for stronger coordination between China and Russia in Asia-Pacific affairs comes at a crucial time. This follows a recent announcement that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting China this year. The two countries are working on several meetings between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Moreover, a senior U.S. State Department official has expressed concern over North Korea’s growing arms trade and its potential impact on China. The official emphasized that China should be alarmed by North Korea’s deepening ties with Russia, including the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russian forces in Ukraine.

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