https://twitter.com/NazeemElkommos/status/1489504301378637824
https://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/359701810
https://jremissing.com/
http://en.kremlin.ru/supplement/5770
Joint Statement of the Russian Federation and the Peopleâs Republic of China on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development
At the invitation of President of the Peopleâs Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir V. Putin visited China on 4 February 2022. The Heads of State held talks in Beijing and took part in the opening ceremony of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games.
The Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, hereinafter referred to as the sides, state as follows.
Today, the world is going through momentous changes, and humanity is entering a new era of rapid development and profound transformation. It sees the development of such processes and phenomena as multipolarity, economic globalization, the advent of information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the global governance architecture and world order; there is increasing interrelation and interdependence between the States; a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world; and the international community is showing a growing demand for the leadership aiming at peaceful and gradual development. At the same time, as the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection continues, the international and regional security situation is complicating and the number of global challenges and threats is growing from day to day. Some actors representing but the minority on the international scale continue to advocate unilateral approaches to addressing international issues and resort to force; they interfere in the internal affairs of other states, infringing their legitimate rights and interests, and incite contradictions, differences and confrontation, thus hampering the development and progress of mankind, against the opposition from the international community.
The sides call on all States to pursue well-being for all and, with these ends, to build dialogue and mutual trust, strengthen mutual understanding, champion such universal human values as peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom, respect the rights of peoples to independently determine the development paths of their countries and the sovereignty and the security and development interests of States, to protect the United Nations-driven international architecture and the international law-based world order, seek genuine multipolarity with the United Nations and its Security Council playing a central and coordinating role, promote more democratic international relations, and ensure peace, stability and sustainable development across the world.
I
The sides share the understanding that democracy is a universal human value, rather than a privilege of a limited number of States, and that its promotion and protection is a common responsibility of the entire world community.
The sides believe that democracy is a means of citizens' participation in the government of their country with the view to improving the well-being of population and implementing the principle of popular government. Democracy is exercised in all spheres of public life as part of a nation-wide process and reflects the interests of all the people, its will, guarantees its rights, meets its needs and protects its interests. There is no one-size-fits-all template to guide countries in establishing democracy. A nation can choose such forms and methods of implementing democracy that would best suit its particular state, based on its social and political system, its historical background, traditions and unique cultural characteristics. It is only up to the people of the country to decide whether their State is a democratic one.
The sides note that Russia and China as world powers with rich cultural and historical heritage have long-standing traditions of democracy, which rely on thousand-years of experience of development, broad popular support and consideration of the needs and interests of citizens. Russia and China guarantee their people the right to take part through various means and in various forms in the administration of the State and public life in accordance with the law. The people of both countries are certain of the way they have chosen and respect the democratic systems and traditions of other States.
The sides note that democratic principles are implemented at the global level, as well as in administration of State. Certain States' attempts to impose their own âdemocratic standardsâ on other countries, to monopolize the right to assess the level of compliance with democratic criteria, to draw dividing lines based on the grounds of ideology, including by establishing exclusive blocs and alliances of convenience, prove to be nothing but flouting of democracy and go against the spirit and true values of democracy. Such attempts at hegemony pose serious threats to global and regional peace and stability and undermine the stability of the world order.
The sides believe that the advocacy of democracy and human rights must not be used to put pressure on other countries. They oppose the abuse of democratic values and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states under the pretext of protecting democracy and human rights, and any attempts to incite divisions and confrontation in the world. The sides call on the international community to respect cultural and civilizational diversity and the rights of peoples of different countries to self-determination. They stand ready to work together with all the interested partners to promote genuine democracy.
The sides note that the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set noble goals in the area of universal human rights, set forth fundamental principles, which all the States must comply with and observe in deeds. At the same time, as every nation has its own unique national features, history, culture, social system and level of social and economic development, universal nature of human rights should be seen through the prism of the real situation in every particular country, and human rights should be protected in accordance with the specific situation in each country and the needs of its population. Promotion and protection of human rights is a shared responsibility of the international community. The states should equally prioritize all categories of human rights and promote them in a systemic manner. The international human rights cooperation should be carried out as a dialogue between the equals involving all countries. All States must have equal access to the right to development. Interaction and cooperation on human rights matters should be based on the principle of equality of all countries and mutual respect for the sake of strengthening the international human rights architecture.
II
The sides believe that peace, development and cooperation lie at the core of the modern international system. Development is a key driver in ensuring the prosperity of the nations. The ongoing pandemic of the new coronavirus infection poses a serious challenge to the fulfilment of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is vital to enhance partnership relations for the sake of global development and make sure that the new stage of global development is defined by balance, harmony and inclusiveness.
The sides are seeking to advance their work to link the development plans for the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative with a view to intensifying practical cooperation between the EAEU and China in various areas and promoting greater interconnectedness between the Asia Pacific and Eurasian regions. The sides reaffirm their focus on building the Greater Eurasian Partnership in parallel and in coordination with the Belt and Road construction to foster the development of regional associations as well as bilateral and multilateral integration processes for the benefit of the peoples on the Eurasian continent.
The sides agreed to continue consistently intensifying practical cooperation for the sustainable development of the Arctic.
The sides will strengthen cooperation within multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, and encourage the international community to prioritize development issues in the global macro-policy coordination. They call on the developed countries to implement in good faith their formal commitments on development assistance, provide more resources to developing countries, address the uneven development of States, work to offset such imbalances within States, and advance global and international development cooperation. The Russian side confirms its readiness to continue working on the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, including participation in the activities of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative under the UN auspices. In order to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the sides call on the international community to take practical steps in key areas of cooperation such as poverty reduction, food security, vaccines and epidemics control, financing for development, climate change, sustainable development, including green development, industrialization, digital economy, and infrastructure connectivity.
The sides call on the international community to create open, equal, fair and non-discriminatory conditions for scientific and technological development, to step up practical implementation of scientific and technological advances in order to identify new drivers of economic growth.
The sides call upon all countries to strengthen cooperation in sustainable transport, actively build contacts and share knowledge in the construction of transport facilities, including smart transport and sustainable transport, development and use of Arctic routes, as well as to develop other areas to support global post-epidemic recovery.
The sides are taking serious action and making an important contribution to the fight against climate change. Jointly celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, they reaffirm their commitment to this Convention as well as to the goals, principles and provisions of the Paris Agreement, including the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The sides work together to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, remain committed to fulfilling the obligations they have undertaken and expect that developed countries will actually ensure the annual provision of $100 billion of climate finance to developing states. The sides oppose setting up new barriers in international trade under the pretext of fighting climate change.
The sides strongly support the development of international cooperation and exchanges in the field of biological diversity, actively participating in the relevant global governance process, and intend to jointly promote the harmonious development of humankind and nature as well as green transformation to ensure sustainable global development.
The Heads of State positively assess the effective interaction between Russia and China in the bilateral and multilateral formats focusing on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, protection of life and health of the population of the two countries and the peoples of the world. They will further increase cooperation in the development and manufacture of vaccines against the new coronavirus infection, as well as medical drugs for its treatment, and enhance collaboration in public health and modern medicine. The sides plan to strengthen coordination on epidemiological measures to ensure strong protection of health, safety and order in contacts between citizens of the two countries. The sides have commended the work of the competent authorities and regions of the two countries on implementing quarantine measures in the border areas and ensuring the stable operation of the border crossing points, and intend to consider establishing a joint mechanism for epidemic control and prevention in the border areas to jointly plan anti-epidemic measures to be taken at the border checkpoints, share information, build infrastructure and improve the efficiency of customs clearance of goods.
The sides emphasize that ascertaining the origin of the new coronavirus infection is a matter of science. Research on this topic must be based on global knowledge, and that requires cooperation among scientists from all over the world. The sides oppose politicization of this issue. The Russian side welcomes the work carried out jointly by China and WHO to identify the source of the new coronavirus infection and supports the China â WHO joint report on the matter. The sides call on the global community to jointly promote a serious scientific approach to the study of the coronavirus origin.
The Russian side supports a successful hosting by the Chinese side of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2022.
The sides highly appreciate the level of bilateral cooperation in sports and the Olympic movement and express their readiness to contribute to its further progressive development.
III
The sides are gravely concerned about serious international security challenges and believe that the fates of all nations are interconnected. No State can or should ensure its own security separately from the security of the rest of the world and at the expense of the security of other States. The international community should actively engage in global governance to ensure universal, comprehensive, indivisible and lasting security.
The sides reaffirm their strong mutual support for the protection of their core interests, state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and oppose interference by external forces in their internal affairs.
The Russian side reaffirms its support for the One-China principle, confirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposes any forms of independence of Taiwan.
Russia and China stand against attempts by external forces to undermine security and stability in their common adjacent regions, intend to counter interference by outside forces in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under any pretext, oppose colour revolutions, and will increase cooperation in the aforementioned areas.
The sides condemn terrorism in all its manifestations, promote the idea of creating a single global anti-terrorism front, with the United Nations playing a central role, advocate stronger political coordination and constructive engagement in multilateral counterterrorism efforts. The sides oppose politicization of the issues of combating terrorism and their use as instruments of policy of double standards, condemn the practice of interference in the internal affairs of other States for geopolitical purposes through the use of terrorist and extremist groups as well as under the guise of combating international terrorism and extremism.
The sides believe that certain States, military and political alliances and coalitions seek to obtain, directly or indirectly, unilateral military advantages to the detriment of the security of others, including by employing unfair competition practices, intensify geopolitical rivalry, fuel antagonism and confrontation, and seriously undermine the international security order and global strategic stability. The sides oppose further enlargement of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon its ideologized cold war approaches, to respect the sovereignty, security and interests of other countries, the diversity of their civilizational, cultural and historical backgrounds, and to exercise a fair and objective attitude towards the peaceful development of other States. The sides stand against the formation of closed bloc structures and opposing camps in the Asia-Pacific region and remain highly vigilant about the negative impact of the United States' Indo-Pacific strategy on peace and stability in the region. Russia and China have made consistent efforts to build an equitable, open and inclusive security system in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) that is not directed against third countries and that promotes peace, stability and prosperity.
The sides welcome the Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapons States on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races and believe that all nuclear-weapons States should abandon the cold war mentality and zero-sum games, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in their national security policies, withdraw nuclear weapons deployed abroad, eliminate the unrestricted development of global anti-ballistic missile defense (ABM) system, and take effective steps to reduce the risks of nuclear wars and any armed conflicts between countries with military nuclear capabilities.
The sides reaffirm that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the cornerstone of the international disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation system, an important part of the post-war international security system, and plays an indispensable role in world peace and development. The international community should promote the balanced implementation of the three pillars of the Treaty and work together to protect the credibility, effectiveness and the universal nature of the instrument.
The sides are seriously concerned about the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom (AUKUS), which provides for deeper cooperation between its members in areas involving strategic stability, in particular their decision to initiate cooperation in the field of nuclear-powered submarines. Russia and China believe that such actions are contrary to the objectives of security and sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific region, increase the danger of an arms race in the region, and pose serious risks of nuclear proliferation. The sides strongly condemn such moves and call on AUKUS participants to fulfil their nuclear and missile non-proliferation commitments in good faith and to work together to safeguard peace, stability, and development in the region.
Japan's plans to release nuclear contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean and the potential environmental impact of such actions are of deep concern to the sides. The sides emphasize that the disposal of nuclear contaminated water should be handled with responsibility and carried out in a proper manner based on arrangements between the Japanese side and neighbouring States, other interested parties, and relevant international agencies while ensuring transparency, scientific reasoning, and in accordance with international law.
The sides believe that the U.S. withdrawal from the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, the acceleration of research and the development of intermediate-range and shorter-range ground-based missiles and the desire to deploy them in the Asia-Pacific and European regions, as well as their transfer to the allies, entail an increase in tension and distrust, increase risks to international and regional security, lead to the weakening of international non-proliferation and arms control system, undermining global strategic stability. The sided call on the United States to respond positively to the Russian initiative and abandon its plans to deploy intermediate-range and shorter-range ground-based missiles in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. The sides will continue to maintain contacts and strengthen coordination on this issue.
The Chinese side is sympathetic to and supports the proposals put forward by the Russian Federation to create long-term legally binding security guarantees in Europe.
The sides note that the denunciation by the United States of a number of important international arms control agreements has an extremely negative impact on international and regional security and stability. The sides express concern over the advancement of U.S. plans to develop global missile defence and deploy its elements in various regions of the world, combined with capacity building of high-precision non-nuclear weapons for disarming strikes and other strategic objectives. The sides stress the importance of the peaceful uses of outer space, strongly support the central role of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in promoting international cooperation, maintaining and developing international space law and regulation in the field of space activities. Russia and China will continue to increase cooperation on such matters of mutual interest as the long-term sustainability of space activities and the development and use of space resources. The sides oppose attempts by some States to turn outer space into an arena of armed confrontation and reiterate their intention to make all necessary efforts to prevent the weaponization of space and an arms race in outer space. They will counteract activities aimed at achieving military superiority in space and using it for combat operations. The sides affirm the need for the early launch of negotiations to conclude a legally binding multilateral instrument based on the Russian-Chinese draft treaty on the prevention of placement of weapons in outer space and the use or threat of force against space objects that would provide fundamental and reliable guarantees against an arms race and the weaponization of outer space.
Russia and China emphasize that appropriate transparency and confidence-building measures, including an international initiative/political commitment not to be the first to place weapons in space, can also contribute to the goal of preventing an arms race in outer space, but such measures should complement and not substitute the effective legally binding regime governing space activities.
The sides reaffirm their belief that the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BWC) is an essential pillar of international peace and security. Russia and China underscore their determination to preserve the credibility and effectiveness of the Convention.
The sides affirm the need to fully respect and further strengthen the BWC, including by institutionalizing it, strengthening its mechanisms, and adopting a legally binding Protocol to the Convention with an effective verification mechanism, as well as through regular consultation and cooperation in addressing any issues related to the implementation of the Convention.
The sides emphasize that domestic and foreign bioweapons activities by the United States and its allies raise serious concerns and questions for the international community regarding their compliance with the BWC. The sides share the view that such activities pose a serious threat to the national security of the Russian Federation and China and are detrimental to the security of the respective regions. The sides call on the U.S. and its allies to act in an open, transparent, and responsible manner by properly reporting on their military biological activities conducted overseas and on their national territory, and by supporting the resumption of negotiations on a legally binding BWC Protocol with an effective verification mechanism.
The sides, reaffirming their commitment to the goal of a world free of chemical weapons, call upon all parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention to work together to uphold its credibility and effectiveness. Russia and China are deeply concerned about the politicization of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and call on all of its members to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and protect the tradition of consensual decision-making. Russia and China insist that the United States, as the sole State Party to the Convention that has not yet completed the process of eliminating chemical weapons, accelerate the elimination of its stockpiles of chemical weapons. The sides emphasize the importance of balancing the non-proliferation obligations of states with the interests of legitimate international cooperation in the use of advanced technology and related materials and equipment for peaceful purposes. The sides note the resolution entitled âPromoting international Cooperation on Peaceful Uses in the Context of International Securityâ adopted at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on the initiative of China and coâsponsored by Russia, and look forward to its consistent implementation in accordance with the goals set forth therein.
The sides attach great importance to the issues of governance in the field of artificial intelligence. The sides are ready to strengthen dialogue and contacts on artificial intelligence.
The sides reiterate their readiness to deepen cooperation in the field of international information security and to contribute to building an open, secure, sustainable and accessible ICT environment. The sides emphasize that the principles of the non-use of force, respect for national sovereignty and fundamental human rights and freedoms, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, as enshrined in the UN Charter, are applicable to the information space. Russia and China reaffirm the key role of the UN in responding to threats to international information security and express their support for the Organization in developing new norms of conduct of states in this area.
The sides welcome the implementation of the global negotiation process on international information security within a single mechanism and support in this context the work of the UN Open-ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) 2021â2025 (OEWG) and express their willingness to speak with one voice within it. The sides consider it necessary to consolidate the efforts of the international community to develop new norms of responsible behaviour of States, including legal ones, as well as a universal international legal instrument regulating the activities of States in the field of ICT. The sides believe that the Global Initiative on Data Security, proposed by the Chinese side and supported, in principle, by the Russian side, provides a basis for the Working Group to discuss and elaborate responses to data security threats and other threats to international information security.
The sides reiterate their support of United Nations General Assembly resolutions 74/247 and 75/282, support the work of the relevant Ad Hoc Committee of Governmental Experts, facilitate the negotiations within the United Nations for the elaboration of an international convention on countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes. The sides encourage constructive participation of all sides in the negotiations in order to agree as soon as possible on a credible, universal, and comprehensive convention and provide it to the United Nations General Assembly at its 78th session in strict compliance with resolution 75/282. For these purposes, Russia and China have presented a joint draft convention as a basis for negotiations.
The sides support the internationalization of Internet governance, advocate equal rights to its governance, believe that any attempts to limit their sovereign right to regulate national segments of the Internet and ensure their security are unacceptable, are interested in greater participation of the International Telecommunication Union in addressing these issues.
The sides intend to deepen bilateral cooperation in international information security on the basis of the relevant 2015 intergovernmental agreement. To this end, the sides have agreed to adopt in the near future a plan for cooperation between Russia and China in this area.
IV
The sides underline that Russia and China, as world powers and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, intend to firmly adhere to moral principles and accept their responsibility, strongly advocate the international system with the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international affairs, defend the world order based on international law, including the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, advance multipolarity and promote the democratization of international relations, together create an even more prospering, stable, and just world, jointly build international relations of a new type.
The Russian side notes the significance of the concept of constructing a âcommunity of common destiny for mankindâ proposed by the Chinese side to ensure greater solidarity of the international community and consolidation of efforts in responding to common challenges. The Chinese side notes the significance of the efforts taken by the Russian side to establish a just multipolar system of international relations.
The sides intend to strongly uphold the outcomes of the Second World War and the existing post-war world order, defend the authority of the United Nations and justice in international relations, resist attempts to deny, distort, and falsify the history of the Second World War.
In order to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy of the world war, the sides will strongly condemn actions aimed at denying the responsibility for atrocities of Nazi aggressors, militarist invaders, and their accomplices, besmirch and tarnish the honour of the victorious countries.
The sides call for the establishment of a new kind of relationships between world powers on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation. They reaffirm that the new inter-State relations between Russia and China are superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era. Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no âforbiddenâ areas of cooperation, strengthening of bilateral strategic cooperation is neither aimed against third countries nor affected by the changing international environment and circumstantial changes in third countries.
The sides reiterate the need for consolidation, not division of the international community, the need for cooperation, not confrontation. The sides oppose the return of international relations to the state of confrontation between major powers, when the weak fall prey to the strong. The sides intend to resist attempts to substitute universally recognized formats and mechanisms that are consistent with international law for rules elaborated in private by certain nations or blocs of nations, and are against addressing international problems indirectly and without consensus, oppose power politics, bullying, unilateral sanctions, and extraterritorial application of jurisdiction, as well as the abuse of export control policies, and support trade facilitation in line with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The sides reaffirmed their intention to strengthen foreign policy coordination, pursue true multilateralism, strengthen cooperation on multilateral platforms, defend common interests, support the international and regional balance of power, and improve global governance.
The sides support and defend the multilateral trade system based on the central role of the World Trade Organization (WTO), take an active part in the WTO reform, opposing unilateral approaches and protectionism. The sides are ready to strengthen dialogue between partners and coordinate positions on trade and economic issues of common concern, contribute to ensuring the sustainable and stable operation of global and regional value chains, promote a more open, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory system of international trade and economic rules.
The sides support the G20 format as an important forum for discussing international economic cooperation issues and anti-crisis response measures, jointly promote the invigorated spirit of solidarity and cooperation within the G20, support the leading role of the association in such areas as the international fight against epidemics, world economic recovery, inclusive sustainable development, improving the global economic governance system in a fair and rational manner to collectively address global challenges.
The sides support the deepened strategic partnership within BRICS, promote the expanded cooperation in three main areas: politics and security, economy and finance, and humanitarian exchanges. In particular, Russia and China intend to encourage interaction in the fields of public health, digital economy, science, innovation and technology, including artificial intelligence technologies, as well as the increased coordination between BRICS countries on international platforms. The sides strive to further strengthen the BRICS Plus/Outreach format as an effective mechanism of dialogue with regional integration associations and organizations of developing countries and States with emerging markets.
The Russian side will fully support the Chinese side chairing the association in 2022, and assist in the fruitful holding of the XIV BRICS summit.
Russia and China aim to comprehensively strengthen the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and further enhance its role in shaping a polycentric world order based on the universally recognized principles of international law, multilateralism, equal, joint, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security.
They consider it important to consistently implement the agreements on improved mechanisms to counter challenges and threats to the security of SCO member states and, in the context of addressing this task, advocate expanded functionality of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.
The sides will contribute to imparting a new quality and dynamics to the economic interaction between the SCO member States in the fields of trade, manufacturing, transport, energy, finance, investment, agriculture, customs, telecommunications, innovation and other areas of mutual interest, including through the use of advanced, resource-saving, energy efficient and âgreenâ technologies.
The sides note the fruitful interaction within the SCO under the 2009 Agreement between the Governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member States on cooperation in the field of international information security, as well as within the specialized Group of Experts. In this context, they welcome the adoption of the SCO Joint Action Plan on Ensuring International Information Security for 2022â2023 by the Council of Heads of State of SCO Member States on September 17, 2021 in Dushanbe.
Russia and China proceed from the ever-increasing importance of cultural and humanitarian cooperation for the progressive development of the SCO. In order to strengthen mutual understanding between the people of the SCO member States, they will continue to effectively foster interaction in such areas as cultural ties, education, science and technology, healthcare, environmental protection, tourism, people-to-people contacts, sports.
Russia and China will continue to work to strengthen the role of APEC as the leading platform for multilateral dialogue on economic issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The sides intend to step up coordinated action to successfully implement the âPutrajaya guidelines for the development of APEC until 2040â with a focus on creating a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent and predictable trade and investment environment in the region. Particular emphasis will be placed on the fight against the novel coronavirus infection pandemic and economic recovery, digitalization of a wide range of different spheres of life, economic growth in remote territories and the establishment of interaction between APEC and other regional multilateral associations with a similar agenda.
The sides intend to develop cooperation within the âRussia-India-Chinaâ format, as well as to strengthen interaction on such venues as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum on Security, Meeting of Defense Ministers of the ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners. Russia and China support ASEAN's central role in developing cooperation in East Asia, continue to increase coordination on deepened cooperation with ASEAN, and jointly promote cooperation in the areas of public health, sustainable development, combating terrorism and countering transnational crime. The sides intend to continue to work in the interest of a strengthened role of ASEAN as a key element of the regional architecture.
https://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/359651784
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/4/russia-wins-chinese-backing-in-showdown-over-ukraine
Russia wins Chinaâs backing in NATO showdown over Ukraine
Russia won Chinaâs backing in its showdown with the West over Ukraine as Beijing agreed with Moscow the US-led NATO military alliance should not admit new members.
The demand for NATO to stop expanding came after a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, in which the Russian leader hailed the two countriesâ âdignified relationshipâ.
In a long strategy document, Moscow and Beijing hit out at what they said was Washingtonâs destabilising role in global security.
âThe parties oppose the further expansion of NATO and call on the North Atlantic Alliance to abandon the ideological approaches of the Cold War era,â the document said, urging respect for the âsovereignty, security and interests of other countriesâ.
The call echoed demands from Russia at the centre of weeks of intensive negotiations between Moscow and the West, under the shadow of a potential conflict.
Western capitals have accused Russia of amassing some 100,000 troops on the borders of pro-Western Ukraine in preparation for an invasion, and have pledged to impose devastating sanctions on Moscow if it attacks.
Russia has denied any such plans.
The document released by Beijing and Moscow on Friday also set out criticisms of Washingtonâs ânegative impact on peace and stabilityâ in the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia and China also said they were âseriously concernedâ by the AUKUS defence alliance, including Australia, the United Kingdom and the US.
Dmitry Babich, a political analyst with the Rossiya Segodnya news company, said the US and NATO should change their policies towards Russia and China.
âBoth countries are facing the same challenge, the same danger from the United States and other Western countries,â he said, calling the standoff over Ukraine âa very unfortunate developmentâ.
âRussia didnât want it, China didnât want it. But as we know from history, a common threat, a real threat unites nations better than any formal alliances,â Babich told Al Jazeera.
âA united frontâ
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the latest European leader to announce a visit to the region on Friday, saying he would go to Ukraine on February 14 and Russia the next day.
Al Jazeeraâs Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said Putin and Xi have been trying to âconvey a united frontâ.
âBoth leaders have experienced souring relations with the US and its allies over the recent years,â Yu said. âAnd China has signalled it would support Russia economically should the US impose any sort of crippling sanctions.â
But, she added, Beijing would not ânecessarily ⌠welcome any potential attack on Ukraineâ, citing the Chinese governmentâs good relations with Kyiv, an important trading partner that is also part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
âDelusionalâ false flag claims
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Moscow on Monday and Kyiv on Tuesday for talks with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.
Putinâs meeting with Xi â hours ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games â came after the US said it had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify an attack on its neighbour.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the US had âinformation that the Russians are likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasionâ, but did not provide evidence.
Russia, which has repeatedly denied any invasion plans, said the US claims were absurd.
âThe delusional nature of such fabrications â and there are more and more of them every day â is obvious,â Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Washingtonâs claim came on the back of visits from European leaders to shore up their backing for Kyiv, including from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
âIntimidation strategyâ
Ukraineâs Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday welcomed the displays of support, saying the efforts prevented Russia from âfurther aggravating the security situationâ.
âOur partners believe in Ukraine and that means Moscowâs intimidation strategy is not working. Russia has lost this round,â Kuleba said.
During Erdoganâs visit Thursday, he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an agreement expanding the production of parts in Ukraine for a Turkish combat drone whose sale to Kyiv has angered Moscow.
Erdogan has tried to position Turkey, which is a member of NATO, as a neutral mediator close to both Moscow and Kyiv.
Following his trip, Erdogan accused the West of making the crisis âworseâ.
âUnfortunately, the West until now has not made any contribution to resolving this issue,â he said in comments published by local media Friday.
âThey are only making things worse,â Erdogan said, adding US President Joe Biden âhas not yet been able to demonstrate a positive approachâ.
Russiaâs relationship with the West was severely damaged in 2014 when it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and threw its political weight behind armed separatists in the east of the country.
Nearly eight years of fighting between Kyiv and the pro-Moscow fighters has cost more than 13,000 lives and seen the West and Russia exchange waves of tit-for-tat sanctions.
In the most recent diplomatic flare-up, Putin demanded guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO and has implicitly threatened the former Soviet state with the enormous military build-up.
Russia also wants NATO and the US to foreswear the deployment of missile systems near Russiaâs borders and to pull back NATO forces in eastern Europe.
These tensions have been aggravated by plans for joint military exercises between Russia and neighbouring Belarus, where Washington claims Moscow is preparing to send 30,000 troops.
Russia said on Friday units of its S-400 missile systems â which it recently sold to Turkey despite protests from NATO â had been delivered to Belarus in advance of the drills beginning next week.
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2022/02/04/news-corp-hack-targeting-journalists-came-from-china/
News Corp: Hack Targeting Journalists Came from China
A recent attack on News Corp affected publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and more as hackers attempted to gain access to email and documents of employees and journalists. Cybersecurity consultants hired by the company claim the hack comes from China and was designed to âcollect intelligence to benefit Chinaâs interests.â
The Wall Street Journal reports that News Corp was targeted in a cyberattack recently that accessed emails and documents of employees and journalists. The companyâs cybersecurity consultant alleges that the hack was likely an attempt to gather information to benefit China.
(L to R) Lachlan Murdoch, executive co-chairman of News Corp and 21st Century Fox, walks with brother James Murdoch, chief executive officer of 21st Century Fox, as they attend the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 5, 2016 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Every July, some of the worldâs most wealthy and powerful businesspeople from the media, finance, technology and political spheres converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive weeklong conference. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The attack was first discovered on January 20 and affected a number of publications and companies including The Wall Street Journal and its parent Dow Jones, The New York Post, the companyâs UK news divisions, and News Corp headquarters.
The company notified law enforcement of the hack and hired the cybersecurity firm Mandiant Inc. to launch an investigation. David Wong, vice president of incident response at Mandiant, commented: âMandiant assesses that those behind this activity have a China nexus, and we believe they are likely involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit Chinaâs interests.â
The WSJ reached out to Representatives for the Chinese Embassy in Washington but received no response. According to individuals with knowledge of the matter, the threat activity appears to be contained.
Computer systems containing financial and customer data appear to be unaffected by the hack according to sources. Law enforcement and cybersecurity experts note that journalists are often high-priority targets for hackers attempting to gain access to information on behalf of foreign governments.
https://www.voanews.com/a/pentagon-lone-bomber-behind-august-2021-attack-on-kabul-airport-/6427383.html
Pentagon: Lone Bomber Behind August 2021 Attack on Kabul Airport
It was an attack that left a lasting mark on the U.S. in the waning days of its withdrawal from Afghanistan â a bombing and apparent follow-on attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that left 13 American troops and more than 170 Afghans dead.
But a just-completed investigation by the U.S. military finds that much of what officials thought they knew about the August 26 attack at the airport's Abbey Gate was wrong. In particular, the probe concludes that comments by senior commanders who argued it was part of a large and well-coordinated plot by the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate were misguided.
"This was not a complex attack," Army Brigadier General Lance Curtis told reporters Friday, detailing the investigation's findings.
"It was a single blast, and it did not have a follow-on attack," Curtis said, still placing the blame with the group known as IS-Khorasan.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, which put U.S. forces in Kabul on heightened alert, senior U.S. commanders said there were two suicide bombers and that gunmen fired on both the crowd and U.S. troops following the explosions.
But Curtis and other military investigators now say that the evidence does not back that up, and that reports of a firefight with IS gunmen can be better explained by the nature of the bomb itself â made with about 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of military-grade explosives and ball bearings â and by the immediate response of U.S. and British troops in the vicinity of Abbey Gate.
The ball bearings, according to the investigators, created injuries that looked "remarkably similar to gunshot wounds." And, they said, the reports of a firefight with militant gunmen likely were the result of U.S. troops on the ground hearing the echoes of warning shots fired by their colleagues within the confines of the security perimeter.
Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, who helped oversee the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, praised the investigation, even though the conclusions differed from what he and others had said in the days following the deadly bombing.
"This was a terrible attack that resulted in tragic outcomes and a horrific loss of life, both Afghan and American," McKenzie said. "While nothing can bring back the 11 Marines, one soldier and one sailor that we tragically lost in this attack, it is important that we fully understand what happened. Their sacrifice demands nothing less."
Sources of evidence
Investigators said they based their findings on eyewitness testimony, video from a drone flying over the airport in the aftermath of the attack, forensic evidence and findings of medical examiners. They said, though, that they did not talk to any Afghan witnesses as U.S. troops had already left Afghanistan by the time their inquiry began.
They also emphasized that the evidence indicated all the deaths and injuries had been caused by the bomb itself, which they said was powerful enough to send shockwaves through the tightly packed crowds at Abbey Gate, spreading 50 meters from the detonation site.
"The disturbing lethality of this device was confirmed by the 58 U.S. service members who were killed and wounded despite the universal wear of body armor and helmets that did stop ball bearings that impacted them but could not prevent catastrophic injuries to areas not covered," McKenzie said.
FILE - Flag-draped transfer cases of U.S. military service members who were killed by an August 26 suicide bombing at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport line the inside of a C-17 Globemaster II prior to transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Aug. 29, 2021. (U.S. Marines/Handout via Reuters)
Military officials said the power of the explosion was also enough to cause some troops to suffer from traumatic brain injuries.
Investigators further said there was no proof that anyone was hurt or killed when U.S. and British forces fired a series of warning shots while targeting a perceived threat following the explosion. They also said the probe found no evidence that the Taliban, who at that point were coordinating with U.S. forces on airport security, knew anything of the looming attack.
Asked if there was anything the U.S. could have or should have done differently to prevent the attack, Curtis said no.
"Based on our investigation at the tactical level, this was not preventable," he told reporters. "The [U.S. military] leaders on the ground followed the proper measures, and any time there was an imminent threat warning, they followed the proper procedures."
Following the attack on Kabul Airport's Abbey Gate, U.S. President Joe Biden said the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, known as IS-Khorasan, would be held responsible.
"To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not forgive," Biden said in a nationally broadcast address. "We will hunt you down and make you pay."
"We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place we choose and the moment of our choosing" he said.
The Abbey Gate bombing also left the U.S. military in Afghanistan on heightened alert and possibly contributed to a botched airstrike three days later that killed as many as 10 civilians, including an aid worker and seven children.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/consequences-of-a-chinese-invasion-of-taiwan_4248278.html
Consequences of a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan
What Would Defeat Do?
Anything less than a quick capture of the entire island would look like defeat for the Chinese regime. A long invasion would give time for the allies to commit forces, give the Taiwanese time to rally their people in guerrilla warfare, and muster massive world opinion against communist China.
With world opinion against the Chinese regime, and a valiant ally able to defend all or part of Formosa, I think the United States would muster a large number of allies to help defend the island.
The long arc of Chinese history and classical Chinese writings argue that defeat would be a complete and utter disaster that would finish China. At the Battle of Fei River, a costly military defeat sent the Qin Dynastyâs forces retreating in disarray and ended the dynasty. There were pockets of discontent in the dynasty that rebelled when they sensed weakness. The costly and unsuccessful campaigns in Korea ended the Sui Dynasty. And natural disasters, plus the death penalty for any peasant that failed to resupply the expeditionary army, eroded popular support and made it seem like the dynasty had lost Heavenâs favor. These examples had particular social factors that contributed to the decline of both dynasties.
But there are classic Chinese writings that also support the idea of an imminent collapse of a totalitarian regime, as well. Legalists scholars, like Han Feizi and Lord Shang, believed in a strong government that could compel people. But they failed to account for the idea that they could only compel bodies and the minds would resist such a naked use of power.
Or, as the great Confucian thinker Mencius said, âWhen force is used to make men submit, they do not submit in their hearts ⌠but when virtue is used to make men submit, they are happy in their hearts and sincerely submit themselves.â
The phrase âhearts and mindsâ is often mocked in todayâs circles, but it was a powerful component of Confucian ideology, and formed part of the ruling ideology called Imperial Confucianism.
The Han Dynasty text, the Huainanzi, discussed the fall of Chinaâs first dynasty, the Qin. It was so powerful that there wasnât a place where people walked that wasnât a part of its empire. Yet the revolt of a single soldier caused the dynasty to collapse because of the accumulated grievances, as outlined below from the ancient text:
âChen Sheng, a conscript soldier, arose. ⌠He bared his right arm and raised it, proclaiming himself Great chuh, and the empire responded like an echo. At that time, he did not have strong armor or sharp weapons, powerful bows or hard spears. They cut date trees to make spears; they ground awls and chisels to make swords, they sharpened bamboo and shouldered hoes to meet keen halberds and strong crossbows, yet not city they attacked or land they invaded did not surrender to them. They roiled and shook, overran and rolled up an area of several thousand square li. ⌠Chenâs force and station were supremely lowly, and his weapons and equipment were of no advantage, yet one man sang out and the empire harmonized with him. This was because resentment had accumulated among the people.â
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is powerful, and the people donât have weapons or even access to an uncensored internet. But it is likely the people seethe with resentment. The Winter Olympics will serve to highlight how the peopleâs beloved tennis star, Peng Shuai, was disappeared and has yet to regain full membership in society. We donât know the extent of the peopleâs discontent, but scholars estimate there are 130,000 protests a year throughout China. It seems many Chinese are discontent with their leader Xi Jinping as they gave him the nickname âWinnie the Poohâ around 2013, when he had gone to the United States for an official visit and met with former President Barack Obama, who was compared to Tigger. Xi banned Winnie the Pooh in China shortly thereafter, which doesnât suggest a stable and confident government
A placard of Winnie the Pooh representing Xi Jinping is torn up by protesters during a rally outside of the Chineses Liaison Office in Hong Kong, China, on May 24, 2020. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Even senior Party officials have been persecuted because of Xiâs anti-corruption campaign. If given the opportunity or presented with saving a failing government or acceding to the people, CCP officials will abandon Xi and let the regime fall. The Partyâs official documents describe how some cadres are now refusing ordersâleading to what some call an internal rebellion.
Just like the revolts throughout Chinese history and the fall of the Soviet Union, the CCP will seem powerful until it isnât, and suddenly collapses. As Mao Zedong himself said when he was the revolutionary against a powerful government, âA single spark can start a prairie fire.â A failed invasion of Taiwan would lead someone to be that spark. And the fear of losing power after failure could be a powerful incentive that prevents war.
Conclusion
Communist China looks powerful and poised to invade Taiwan. But it is not nearly as powerful as people think. And the inability to quickly conquer the island will likely lead to a large coalition of alliesâsuch as the United States, Australia, Japan, and possibly moreâthat will make sure Taiwan stays free. Most importantly, that series of events could lead to the fall of Xi and the collapse of the abhorrent CCP.
A failed invasion of Taiwan by the regime might also lead to Xi and the CCPâs downfall. While any war is scary and tragic, the results of this one will mean that democracy in Taiwan will survive, and Xi and the communists will not.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/592872-arizona-house-speaker-dooms-bill-to-give-legislature-ability-to-reject
Arizona House Speaker dooms bill to give legislature ability to reject election results | TheHill
The GOP Arizona House Speaker effectively doomed a bill on Tuesday that would have given the legislature the ability to reject primary or general election results.
The legislation, introduced by far-right state Rep. John Fillmore, came in the wake of former President TrumpDonald TrumpOhio Republican Bernie Moreno suspends Senate campaign RNC committee advances resolution to censure Cheney, Kinzinger New revelations raise pressure on Barr to testify on Jan. 6 MORE's baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election in multiple states, including Arizona.
All 12 Arizona state House committees were assigned the proposal for consideration by state Speaker Rusty Bowers (R), making it nearly impossible for the legislation to be passed, Capitol Media Services reported.
âWe gave the authority to the people,ââ Bowers told the news outlet, saying that he had technically not killed the bill because it had in fact been referred for consideration to House committees.
But he also expressed his opposition to the nature of measure.
âFor somebody to say we have plenary authority to overthrow a vote of the people for something we think may have happened, where is [the evidence]?ââ Bowers asked.
But not all Republicans were pleased with the move, including Fillmore.
âSometimes there are a great many of the legislators [who] donât have the intestinal fortitude to do what is right,ââ Fillmore told Capitol Media Services.
The doomed bill also included other components such as mandating residents to vote in their home precincts and doing away with most absentee and early voting.
The news comes as both a GOP-led Maricopa County canvass and a Cyber Ninjas audit, conducted last year, confirmed that now-
HiveMind General #4
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Russia, China condemn AUKUS, affirm âno limitsâ to their partnership
Moscow: China and Russia have condemned the AUKUS alliance between Australia, Britain and the United States, saying it increased the danger of an arms race in the region, in a combative joint statement released as Chinaâs President Xi Jinping hosted Russiaâs Vladimir Putin on the opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/russia-china-condemn-aukus-affirm-no-limits-to-their-partnership-20220205-p59u11.html
Misspellings Matter
Herridge shows document with an extra "i" â[i]
I'lll make it a full blown clock later tonight.
US reacts to partnership between Russia & China
Washington maintains its own relationship with China,the White House has said.
The US has a relationship with Beijing of its own, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Friday, when asked about President Bidenâs take on the strengthening ties between Russia and China âthrough the lens of his broader foreign policy goals, agenda items.â
âWell, we â the president views it â views it as we have our own relationship with China,â Psaki said, somewhat dodging the original question and straying into the issues related to the situation around Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke to Chinaâs Foreign Minister Wang Yi and âunderscored the global security and economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine,â Psaki added.
âWeâve also conveyed that a destabilizing conflict in Europe would impact Chinaâs interests all over the world. And certainly, China should know that,â she stressed.
The situation around Ukraine has been one of the centerpieces of US foreign policy over the past few months, with top officials and media repeatedly warning of an allegedly impending âinvasionâ of the country by Russia. Moscow has consistently denied having any plans of the sort.
Earlier in the day, Russia and China released a large joint statement announcing their plans to deepen their cooperation in a vast number of areas. The statement came amid a visit of Russiaâs President Vladimir Putin to China at the invitation of his counterpart, Chinaâs President Xi Jinping.
âFriendship between the two States has no limits, there are no âforbiddenâ areas of cooperation,â the statement reads.
The two countries have proclaimed a joint stance on the expansion of NATO â one of the top issues in the strained relations with the West for Moscow. âThe parties oppose the further expansion of NATO and call for the North Atlantic Alliance to refrain from ideological approaches from the time of the Cold War,â the statement reads, urging the US-led bloc âto respect sovereignty, security, [and]the interests of other countries.â
https://www.rt.com/news/548388-us-russia-china-psaki/
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/592945-jan-6-defendant-asks-to-subpoena-trump-as-trial-witness
A defendant who faces multiple charges connected to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol is asking to subpoena former President TrumpDonald TrumpOhio Republican Bernie Moreno suspends Senate campaign RNC committee advances resolution to censure Cheney, Kinzinger New revelations raise pressure on Barr to testify on Jan. 6 MORE, among others, as a trial witness.
Samuel Shamansky on Friday submitted court filings on behalf of his client and Jan. 6, 2021 defendant Dustin Thompson asking for a judge to allow them to subpoena Trump and others to testify as witnesses in Thompsonâs trial.
âDefendant submits that the individuals he seeks to subpoena are in exclusive possession of information relevant to this case. Moreover, their testimony is necessary to ensure that Defendantâs constitutional right to present a complete defense is safeguarded,â according to the court filings.
"It is anticipated that, when called as a witness, Donald J. Trump will testify that he and others orchestrated a carefully crafted plot to call into question the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and the validity of President BidenJoe BidenWhite House lights up in red, white and blue to cheer Team USA for Olympics Kansas governor vetoes proposed redistricting map Overnight Energy & Environment â Biden's Fed pick draws GOP heat on climate MOREâs victory," the filings add. "Moreover, it will be established at trial that Mr. Trump and his conspirators engaged in a concerted effort to deceive the public, including Defendant, into believing that American democracy was at stake if Congress was permitted to certify the election results."
The court filings indicate that if Trump and others were compelled to testify in Thompsonâs trial, their testimony would show that they had wanted to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.
âDefendant submits that the testimony of Mr. Trump and his conspirators will establish that they were determined, by any means necessary, to prevent Congress from fulfilling its constitutional mandate to certify the election results,â the court filings said. âIn order to accomplish that goal, the conspirators Defendant now seeks to subpoena engaged in a concerted effort to organize, encourage, and direct rally participants to storm the Capitol, enter the grounds, âfight like hell,â and âengage in trial by combat.â
Shamansky said some of the other witnesses they would like to subpoena include former Trump attorney Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiNew revelations raise pressure on Barr to testify on Jan. 6 House panel investigating Jan. 6 gets serious â and Trump is fuming Rudy Giuliani's reveal on 'Masked Singer' prompts walk-off by judges: reports MORE, former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, conservative lawyer John Eastman, pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell and Donald Trump Jr.
Thompsonâs attorney says he expects an opinion to be made soon, but he acknowledged that they may face legal challenges ahead even if the request is approved.
âIf and when Judge Walton approves our issues for a subpoena, we fully expect Trump and his co-conspirators to utilize every legal trick in the book to avoid being placed under oath,â Shamansky said.
Thompson faces a string of charges associated with the Jan. 6, 2021 attack when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and tried to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election.
The Jan. 6 defendant has been charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting; theft of government property; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to Thompsonâs statement of facts and complaint, security footage inside the Capitol allegedly showed him inside the building holding a bottle of bourbon. The court filings also allege that he ran away from law enforcement after he was found with a coat rack that officials believed was inside the Capitol.
If American truckers have the balls, they should surround GoFundMe corp office and refuse to leave until the funds are delivered to the Canadian Truckers.