MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Western countries' policies in the Asia-Pacific region are stimulating further rapprochement between Russia and China, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a meeting at the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Ryabkov emphasized that relations between Moscow and Beijing are unprecedented in the depth of trust and mutual coordination of approaches. "And I wouldn’t set any limits or boundaries here. The leaders of our countries set goals, and our governments and security forces implement them. Joint exercises and other training events have undoubtedly already become widespread, depending on the situation and needs, and I don't think there’s a reason to expect them to be limited. Quite the contrary, especially given that the Asia-Pacific region, in the perception of policymakers, primarily in Washington, and not only there, is becoming a zone where an even more acute confrontation cannot be ruled out," the official added.
"And, regrettably, we must acknowledge that the approaches of a group of American allies and like-minded partners to forming various kinds of alliances, quasi-alliances, and groups of varying configurations, and to finding areas of cooperation that were previously simply absent in the sphere of military and military-technical cooperation, are now being formally implemented in alliance such as AUKUS," Ryabkov said. "All of this, by and large, stimulates the further deepening of our rapprochement with the People's Republic of China."
