Successful cooperation between the Russian Federation and the PRC in the military sphere is not directed against other states, according to the article by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, which was published on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Russian-Chinese Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, TASS reports.
“Based on the principles set forth in article 7 of the treaty, military cooperation is successfully developing, which is exclusively defensive in nature and is not directed against third states. Joint command-staff, anti-terrorist and naval exercises are regularly held. Interaction is enriched by new formats, including joint aerial patrols by long-range aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region”, – Lavrov stressed.
According to the minister, the Good Neighborliness Treaty is the legal basis for the Russian-Chinese tandem. Lavrov noted that interaction between Moscow and Beijing is not constrained by ideological constraints, is built on an equal footing, is not directed against third countries and is resistant to the influence of external factors.
“Being valuable in itself, our partnership is characterized by a high degree of coordination of actions, including on strategically significant topics”, – the article says.