Fact-Checking: Contrary to Claims by Russia and China, Their Military Cooperation is Confrontational to the Western World

The "PoliGraph" site, a fact-checking project of Voice of America, has examined the claim made by Russia and China that Beijing and Moscow have created "a model of non-aligned and non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third country." This research shows that contrary to this claim, China and Russia are coordinating their foreign policies and military strategies to undermine the liberal-democratic world order led by the West. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited last week to demonstrate Beijing's support for Russia and Belarus. The United States sanctioned Li in 2018 due to China's purchase of Russian weapons. On August 15, the "Global Times," a Chinese state newspaper, quoted the Russian news agency Sputnik, stating that Li praised the military cooperation between China and Russia as open, transparent, and beneficial for peace and stability. This claim is false. Russia's goal, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, and China's ambitions towards Taiwan indicate that their alignment is confrontational and targets third countries. The "Naval Analytical Center," a defense think tank funded by the U.S. government based in Virginia, noted in May that China and Russia have long had shared security interests. The center stated, "The joint statement by Putin and Xi in February 2022, just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reflects an increase in their shared security concerns. In Li's first visit to Russia last April, the two countries issued a statement committing to elevate military cooperation to a new level. On August 17, Li met with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus. The "Global Times" reported that during their meeting, Lukashenko stated that military cooperation between Beijing and Minsk is "not aimed at targeting any third country." Contrary to Li's claim that China and Russia have "created a model of non-aligned and non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third country," the two countries support each other's military actions against third countries. Moscow occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014 and then launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Early August, "Politico" reported that China had "crossed a red line" in delivering non-lethal but militarily useful equipment to Russia to assist in the war against Ukraine. It is clear to all that China has its eyes on its neighbor Taiwan. On August 19, Beijing conducted military exercises around Taiwan after the stop of Taiwan's Vice President William Lai in San Francisco and New York on his way to Paraguay. The Associated Press reported that China's Ministry of Defense stated that this military exercise was a "serious warning" to "separatists and foreign forces" that have colluded. During this three-day military exercise around Taiwan, China fired ballistic missiles over the island, some of which landed in the exclusive economic zones of Japan and the Philippines. This exercise was conducted much closer to mainland Taiwan than previous drills, with some reaching Taiwan's territorial waters. In a joint statement by China and Russia in March, Moscow reiterated its commitment to the One China principle, recognizing Taiwan as an inseparable part of Chinese territory, opposing any form of Taiwan independence, and firmly supporting China's actions to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This text is a translation of part of the research conducted on the "PoliGraph" site, a fact-checking project of Voice of America.