Chinese-Russian Military Ties Do Not Threaten Other Countries - Ambassador

The military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing does not encroach on the interests of third parties.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – China hopes to develop its military-technical cooperation with Russia but is not planning to create a military coalition aimed at third countries, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui said.

“China hopes to develop an all-around and broad cooperation with Russia, including in military-technical cooperation, to gradually strengthen practical cooperation of the two states [as well as strengthen] friendly exchanges between the peoples of our countries,” Li told RIA Novosti in an interview.

Li emphasized that Moscow and Beijing “are not planning on creating a military coalition in any form, but military cooperation between the two countries is developing in accordance with the fundamental norms of international law and is not directed at third countries and does not encroach on the interests of third countries."

This remark came amid strained relations between Russia and the West over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis. The US-led NATO military alliance began last year to bring troops and hardware to the Russian border citing a commitment to protect member nations.

Moscow has denied providing military assistance to militias in eastern Ukraine, and has condemned NATO for using the conflict to justify an increased presence in Eastern Europe.

The Kremlin refuted claims that it planned to enter into a military alliance with partners in the BRICS club of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in early June that Moscow had no intention to turn BRICS into a military bloc.