Russia, China to keep raising awareness of NATO danger in Asia-Pacific

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Mar 2023 18:37
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Russian envoy to Beijing Igor Morgulov said that both China and Russia must continue to mobilize efforts in order to preserve the region's post-WWII security structure and find ways to counter NATO's eastward expansion.

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, Chinese warships take part in joint naval drills with Russia in the East China Sea on Thursday (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russian envoy to Beijing, Igor Morgulov, said on Saturday that Russia and China will continue to explain to all Asian-Pacific countries the risks and threats associated with NATO's presence in the region, noting that the two global powers will keep building military alliances with allies.

"There is a need to explain to all those countries of the region, where Russia has many like-minded people, the dangers and threats posed by NATO's presence in the Asia-Pacific region. We will continue the relevant work together with our Chinese friends," Morgulov told the China Central Television broadcaster.

The diplomat added that both countries must continue to mobilize joint efforts to preserve the region's post-WWII security structure and find ways to counter NATO's eastward expansion in the region.

"For those who do not understand, we will respond by building up military-technical cooperation with our like-minded states in the region, including China," Morgulov said, noting that the Western powers are seeking to undermine the existing structure of security and cooperation by imposing a system based on NATO.

"I have repeatedly expressed bewilderment at why NATO is rushing into the Asia-Pacific region. At the Madrid summit in June last year, the North Atlantic Alliance officially announced that its sphere of responsibility was becoming global at that moment. This raises a lot of questions for us," he added.

In sum, the diplomat said that he sees no prospects for NATO to expand to the region.

On January 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko considered that "the cornerstone of the NATO policy and military development is the task of deterring Russia."

Grushko told a news conference following a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council that the US and its allies are trying to achieve superiority in all possible combat environments.

The Russian Deputy FM expressed that Moscow is seriously concerned that the scenarios of various exercises incorporate the nuclear component.

The security guarantees that Russia has requested from NATO will benefit both Moscow and NATO member states in Europe, Grushko said, noting that NATO is not taking into account the security interests of others.

He said that Russia and NATO had no "positive agenda -- none at all" and warned that the continued deterioration of the situation could lead to the "most unpredictable and most dire consequences for European security."

He also pointed out that the full implementation of the Minsk agreements would not be a threat to Ukraine's security, adding that "To contain Russia, it is necessary to demonize it and to attribute to it some sort of hostile plans and intentions towards neighbors."