Russia, China Cooperation on political and security issues

SOCHI, – The Russian president Vladimir Putin stressed growing cooperation between Russia and China’s’ “security services and military, including those ensuring the removal of chemical weapons from Syria”., according to ITAR TASS.

 “Russia and China make a significant contribution to global development and security,” Putin said.

Russian and Chinese naval task forces participate in the international operation to dispose of Syria’s chemical stockpiles for its further destruction. Russia’s missile cruiser The Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) along with a Chinese frigate, Yan Cheng, will escort other ships taking  chemical weapons out of Syria.

This kind of cooperation is the two countries’ first experience of military interaction not in the course of exercises, but in a real operation run by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Moscow and Beijing largely contribute to assuring global development and security.

Putin said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday that “bilateral cooperation is expanding” and the two countries have almost reached the annual turnover target of $100 billion.

Putin recalled that the current volume of trade totaled $87 billion and “it is moving closer to the planned $100 billion.” There were plans earlier to achieve this figure by 2015 and by 2020, to make turnover reach $200 billion.

“Political contacts are expanding,” Putin said. “Five high-level meetings have been scheduled for this year.”

M.D