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WORLD NEWS Saturday 5 February 2022
Russia, China push back against U.S. in pre-Olympics summit

By KEN MORITSUGU where big powers decide
Associated Press what small neighbors can
BEIJING (AP) — The lead- do or not do,” Stoltenberg
ers of Russia and China said.
pushed back against U.S. Chinese Foreign Minister
pressure on Friday, declar- Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary
ing their opposition to any of State Antony Blinken in
expansion of NATO and a call last week that Mos-
affirming that the island of cow’s security concerns
Taiwan is a part of China, need to be addressed, a
as they met hours before statement that marked a
the Winter Olympics kicked notable policy shift for Bei-
off in Beijing. jing.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Some observers suggest-
China’s Xi Jinping issued a ed that Beijing is closely
joint statement highlighting watching how the U.S. and
what they called “interfer- its allies act in the standoff
ence in the internal affairs” over Ukraine as it ponders
of other states, as both further strategy on Taiwan,
leaders face criticism from arguing that indecision by
Washington over their for- Washington could encour-
eign and domestic policies. age China to grow more
“Some forces represent- assertive.
ing a minority on the world Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo prior to The U.S. is Taiwan’s main
their talks in Beijing, China, Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
stage continue to advo- Associated Press supplier of fighter aircraft
cate unilateral approach- and defensive arms and
es to resolving internation- remarks to Xi carried by ing such exchanges “to a with Beijing. is legally bound to treat
al problems and resort to Russian television. certain extent a tradition.” A buildup of more than threats to the island de-
military policy,” it read, in Relations “are developing Kevin Rudd, president of 100,000 Russian troops near mocracy as matters of
a thinly veiled reference to in a progressive way with a the Asia Society and former Ukraine has fueled Western “grave concern.”
the U.S. and its allies. spirit of friendship and stra- Australian prime minister, fears that Moscow is poised The joint statement said
The two leaders are look- tegic partnership,” Putin called Beijing’s backing of to invade its neighbor. Rus- that Russia reaffirms that
ing to project themselves said. Moscow over NATO expan- sia has denied planning an Taiwan is an integral part
as a counterweight to the “They have indeed be- sion “highly significant.” offensive but urged the U.S. of China and opposes Tai-
U.S.-led bloc, as China come unprecedented.” “It puts at risk China’s wider and its allies to provide a wan’s independence in
shows growing support for Putin highlighted close relationship with the Euro- binding pledge that NATO any form.
Moscow in its dispute with economic ties, including peans,” Rudd said. “But Xi won’t expand to Ukraine China claims the self-gov-
Ukraine that threatens to a new contract to supply believes he is now powerful and other ex-Soviet nations erning island as its own ter-
break out into armed con- China with 10 billion cubic enough and has sufficient or deploy weapons there, ritory, to be annexed by
flict. meters of gas per year from economic leverage with and roll back its forces from force if necessary.
China and Russia are com- eastern Russian. Europe to get away with it. Eastern Europe demands Economic and diplomatic
mitted to “deepening “For our meeting today, our It also signifies that China firmly rejected by the West. cooperation has expand-
back-to-back strategic co- oilmen have prepared very now sees itself as a global, Putin and Xi accused NATO ed into the military field in
operation,” Xi was quoted good new solutions for the not just a regional, security and the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific recent years, as Russia and
as telling Putin. supply of hydrocarbons to actor.” strategy of building closer China have held a series of
“This is a strategic decision the People’s Republic of The discussions mark the military ties with other coun- joint war games, including
that has far-reaching influ- China, and another step two leaders’ first in-person tries in Asia as destabilizing naval drills and patrols by
ence on China, Russia and forward has been taken in meeting since 2019 and and threatening regional long-range bombers over
the world,” Xi said, accord- the gas industry,” Putin said. come as China and Russia security. the Sea of Japan and the
ing to the official Xinhua Russia has long been a increasingly align their for- “The parties oppose the East China Sea.
News Agency. key supplier of oil, gas and eign policies bilaterally and further expansion of NATO, In August, Russian troops
Faced with a “complex coal for China’s massive in world bodies such as the (and) call on the North At- for the first time deployed
and evolving international economy, now the world’s United Nations, in opposi- lantic Alliance to abandon to Chinese territory for joint
situation,” the two sides second largest, along with tion to the Western bloc the ideological approach- maneuvers.
“strongly support each food and other raw materi- and other major powers. es of the Cold War,” the Putin has also noted that
other” in confronting what als. Speaking to reporters af- joint statement said. Russia has been shar-
Xi called “regional security China’s state-run news ter the talks, Russian For- Speaking on MSNBC’s ing highly sensitive mili-
threats” and “international agency reported the two eign Minister Sergey Lavrov Morning Joe program, tary technologies with
strategic stability,” without leaders met at the Di- noted that Putin and Xi dis- NATO Secretary-General China that helped signifi-
directly naming the U.S. aoyutai State Guesthouse cussed “the tensions delib- Jens Stoltenberg rejected cantly bolster its defense
Putin is the highest-profile Friday afternoon, but gave erately incited by the West the criticism and described capability.q
guest at the Beijing Games no details. around the Russian Federa- NATO’s expansion to Cen-
following the decision by They did not appear to tion and China.” tral and Eastern Europe as
the U.S., Britain and others shake hands when greet- Leaders of the five ex-So- a “a great success story”
not to send officials in pro- ing each other due to CO- viet Central Asian nations, that “has helped to spread
test of China’s human rights VID-19 precautions. which have close ties with freedom and democracy
abuses and its treatment of Putin also recalled his pres- both Russia and China, across Europe.”
Uyghurs and other Muslim ence in Beijing for the 2008 all followed Putin’s lead “This is about respecting
minorities. Summer Olympics, and the in attending the Olympics independent sovereign
Putin praised “unprec- Chinese delegation’s at- opening, along with other choices of independent
edented” close relations tendance at Russia’s 2014 states that have political nations, not returning to an
with China, in his opening Winter Games in Sochi, call- and economic interests age of spheres of influence facebook.com/arubatoday/