China and Russia Negotiate Eurasian Alternative to NATO

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov today discussed the "construction of a new Eurasian security architecture", proposed by Russia as an alternative to NATO's Euro-Atlantic model.

This initiative was presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin "as a response to the stagnation of Euro-Atlantic mechanisms", said the statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry after the meeting, which took place in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, where a summit of foreign ministers from the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is taking place.

The statement from Chinese diplomacy did not, however, make any reference to the subject, other than to say that the two ministers "exchanged views on important issues of peace and security" and that they intend to strengthen cooperation on the subject of "regional peace, stability and prosperity" in East Asia.

Wang said that political trust between Beijing and Moscow is "solid and stable" and that the two sides are "deepening" strategic cooperation, reiterating China's readiness to "support each other" and "protect each other's core interests". 

China, which sees partnership with Russia as essential to countering the liberal democratic order led by the United States, has never condemned the Russian invasion and accuses NATO of neglecting Moscow's security concerns. But the Asian country also called last year in a peace proposal for respect for the territorial integrity of all states - including Ukraine.

 According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the two officials spoke about the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which will be celebrated next year: "The victory of World War II should be jointly maintained and the correct view of the history of World War II should be defended."

 Although the documents released by Russia do not reflect this, Beijing noted that Lavrov congratulated China on its role in promoting the declaration of reconciliation between Palestinian factions recently signed in the Chinese capital, and expressed Russia’s readiness to cooperate in restoring peace in the Middle East. 

The two communiqués agreed to defend ASEAN mechanisms from what China describes as “sabotage and interference by forces outside the region.” Wang and Lavrov also held a trilateral meeting with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, in which they agreed to expand their transport links, especially rail.