China and Russia criticized “irresponsible” US nuclear policies as well as Golden Dome missile defense shield plans. The two countries also warned against the threat of returning to the “law of the jungle,” following a bilateral summit in Beijing.
US Rebuke
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said that the New START Treaty, which restricted the size of the US and Russian nuclear arsenals, played an important role in maintaining strategic stability.
In light of this, they blasted Washington’s “irresponsible policy” for failing to extend the treaty after it expired in February.
Furthermore, the two leaders said that the US “Golden Dome” project – a multi-layered defense system designed to detect and destroy a wide range of advanced threats from orbit – “poses a clear threat to strategic stability” and “increases the risk of conflicts in space.”
Rejecting Coercive Measure
The joint statement also highlighted the intensifying “chaotic, geopolitical rivalry” across the world.
In this context, Russia and China expressed their opposition to “any unilateral coercive measures that violate international law and are imposed without the approval of the UN Security Council.”
Beijing and Moscow voiced their categorical rejection and strong condemnation of actions that violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the norms of international law and international relations.
They noted that these actions include “treacherous military strikes against other countries, the hypocritical use of negotiations as cover for preparing such strikes, the assassination of leaders of sovereign states, the destabilization of the domestic political situation and the provocation of regime change, and the brazen kidnapping of national leaders for trial.”
‘Law of the Jungle’ Threat
Moreover, Xi and Putin signed a joint declaration on “The Emergence of a Multipolar World and a New Type of International Relations,” in which they warned against the return to the “law of the jungle” in global affairs.
“The global peace and development agenda is facing new risks and challenges, and there is a danger of the international community’s fragmentation and a return to the ‘law of the jungle,’” the joint declaration said.
Putin’s Visit to Beijing
On the sidelines of Putin’s visit to China, both sides signed 20 cooperation documents in areas including economy and trade, education, and science and technology, according to Xinhua.
However, no major deals have been announced regarding the highly-anticipated “Power of Siberia 2” pipeline project, which will transport gas from the Arctic gas fields of Yamal to China.
Putin’s visit to Beijing comes on the heels of a similar visit by US President Donald Trump, which ended without a joint statement or any major breakthroughs regarding trade and the war in Iran.
