Deepening Russia-China Alliance Challenges US, Western Order In Europe And Asia
Russia and China have increasingly found common ground in challenging the policies of the United States and the Obama administration. The two countries have recently announced a series of plans to strengthen their military and political ties. Analysts believe the deeper alliance may be a cause of concern for the U.S.
The former adversaries during the Cold War, China and Russia had increasingly found a common cause in challenging the Western-dominated order in Asia and Europe. Both countries view the attempts of the West to subdue them as efforts to contain their rise to power, reports Washington Times.
Last week, China and Russia had announced their first joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean. Russia has also agreed to be one of the biggest overseas investors in China’s proposed development bank. U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has tried to undercut China’s plans.
“Russia and China are now becoming, as we wanted, not only neighbours but deeply integrated countries,” said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to reporters on a recent trip to China’s eastern city of Hangzhou. Russia and China discussed making Beijing its “main partner” in a Russian space program to build a scientific station on the moon by 2024.
Previous reports have indicated that Russia is planning to revive its space program launched under the Soviet Union. China has also been gearing up for its own mission to the moon. BBC has dubbed China and Russia’s blossoming relationship as a budding “bromance” since its leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, have gotten close.
Western leaders have declined Russia’s invitation to attend the celebration in Red Square to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory over the Nazis in Germany. Mr Xi has agreed to attend the ceremonies. Andrey Denisov, Russia’s ambassador to Beijing, said Mr Putin and Mr Xi has met five times in 2014 and “will meet as many times” within the year.
Aside from Mr Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had declined invitations to join the celebration. The USA Today reports that Washington will send Ambassador John Tefft in Mr Obama’s place.
“They (now) want to destroy Russia,” said Viktor Karavayev, a Russian war veteran who fought the Germans in 1943. He added that during the war, the U.S. and Britain were the allies of Russia but “now they are our enemies.”
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