Russia to defend regional security jointly with China: deputy DM

MOSCOW -- Russia will work together with China to safeguard regional peace and international security, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov has said.

The direction and form of Russia-China military cooperation have been determined by the two countries' heads of state, Antonov said Friday during a joint interview with Xinhua and China Central Television (CCTV).

"The cooperation between China and Russia in the military sphere is not directed against someone," he said.

"Our interaction is aimed at strengthening the security of our countries, taking into account the international obligations of China and Russia, and the fact that both countries are permanent UN Security Council members," he added.

Antonov went on praising the two countries' joint military activities, including various kinds of drills, which "secure the best compatibility and mutual understanding of our armed forces."

Moreover, he said, multilateral military cooperation has improved markedly in the past three years within such frameworks as the UN Security Council, the UN Conference on Disarmament, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, a thriving cooperation mechanism that groups the world's five leading emerging economies -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"A more tight interaction between the military departments corresponds to the national interests of all the SCO member countries, and we expect this interaction to proceed," Antonov said.

With more and more interaction between the Russian and Chinese defense ministries every year, Antonov said, prospects for cooperation with China have become much brighter.

"There is a lot we can do together to strengthen security of China and the Russian Federation," he said when particularly mentioning the threat of terrorism in the region, which probably could spill over from the unstable Afghanistan.

The issue of fighting terrorism has been chosen as a key topic for the Fifth Moscow International Security Conference scheduled for April 27-28, Antonov said.

The anti-terror fight "requires common approaches, common understanding and common solutions," Antonov said, noting that several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are infiltrated by militants of Daesh, also known as the Islamic State or IS.

He also blamed the United States for planning to deploy elements of a missile defense system in the Asia-Pacific region, which, besides presenting a direct threat to China and Russia, has a wider implication as to undermining the global security system.

By saturating the region with warships, fighters and bombers and setting up different kinds of military bases, the United States does not contribute to strengthening regional peace and security, Antonov said.

Countries in the region should take the initiative and make joint efforts for the establishment of a new and broader security system, he noted.