"Attempt to provoke": why the United States announced the possibility of Russia's involvement in the anti-Chinese campaign

The Russian side never enters into alliances directed against other countries. This was announced to journalists by the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov. According to him, all integration or political associations in which Russia is present are aimed at developing good-neighborly and mutually beneficial relations.

“I want to recall the words of the president (of Russia. - RT ) that Moscow never takes part in alliances against someone, we are not friends against someone,” Peskov said, adding that China is an ally and partner of Russia.

Thus, the press secretary of the Russian president commented on the words of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the need to form an international alliance to resist China and involve Russia in it. Pompeo said this during his speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda. Answering the question, "Does Russia now give the United States an opportunity to involve it in the ongoing confrontation" between the United States and China, Pompeo expressed confidence that "there is such an opportunity."

“This opportunity stems from the natural relationship between China and Russia,” said Pompeo.

At the same time, he did not explain what he meant by the wording "natural relations" between Beijing and Moscow, but recalled that China refused to cooperate with Russia and the United States in the field of arms control.

“There are areas in which we need to work together with Russia. Today or tomorrow, our specialists will start working with the Russian side on building a strategic dialogue, and let's hope that as a result we will be able to come to a new generation of agreements in the field of arms control ... This is in line with our interests and Russia's interests. We called on the Chinese side to participate. But they refuse so far. We hope that they will change their minds, ”the head of the foreign ministry said.

According to Pompeo, Moscow and Washington together can improve the level of international security.

“I am convinced that if it is in such areas - areas related to nonproliferation issues, serious strategic challenges - we have cooperation with Russia, then we can make the world safer,” the US Secretary of State emphasized.

At the same time, Pompeo proposed creating a so-called "alliance of democracies" against Beijing.

“The combined economic, diplomatic and military power of the UN, NATO, G7 and G20 countries will be enough for us to meet this challenge ... Perhaps the time has come to form a new association of like-minded states, a new alliance of democracies. We have the means ... Now we need will, ”said Pompeo.

• US State Department
• Reuters
• © Joshua Roberts

In his opinion, the mission of our time is "to protect freedom from the encroachments of the Chinese Communist Party."

"And America is perfect to lead it, because our fundamental principles give us that opportunity," - said the US Secretary of State.

As the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said later, statements about the possible participation of Russia in the anti-Chinese campaign are "an attempt by the United States to provoke a clash" between the Russian Federation and the PRC in the public sphere, but they will not succeed.

"Play off competitors"

According to Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pompeo's statement can be regarded as "an attempt to use Russia in the war with China."

“Moreover, this is an indicator that the United States is increasingly losing its diplomatic capabilities. They have spoiled their relations with the PRC so much that they do not want to act directly. Instead, Washington is trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing, wanting to create the illusion that the Russian Federation may be the Trojan horse of the American side, ”the expert said.

According to Vasiliev, the words of the US Secretary of State also indicate that Washington still faces the goal of preventing the strengthening of the political and economic partnership between the Russian Federation and the PRC.

"Since such an alliance, if China and Russia further develop their cooperation, will already mean the final collapse of the foreign policy dominance of the United States, which they so often boast of," the analyst said.

An expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies Sergey Ermakov adheres to a similar position. As the analyst explained in a commentary to RT, Washington is "showing a low political game" in trying to "play off its two competitors - Russia and China."

“This is nothing more than US policy under the slogan Divide and Conquer. If it was a matter of serious cooperation with the Russian Federation, then from the National Security and Defense Strategy of the United States, the clause that Russia is a geopolitical adversary of the United States would be removed, "the analyst emphasized.

Meanwhile, Vasiliev also drew attention to the fact that "with all these loud statements by the American side about the importance of cooperation with Russia, the number of practical steps directed against the Russian Federation may soon outweigh the number of smiles in the direction of Moscow."

“And for the Russian leadership, this will be another loud signal that the words and deeds of American politicians diverge,” the expert said.

• US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
• Reuters
• © Mangel Ngan / Pool

In addition, as Vasiliev believes, the statements of the head of the State Department that Washington and Moscow can jointly make the world a safer place are also directed towards the political elite of the United States.

“Trump is thus hinting that he is the only one who can negotiate with Moscow on this delicate topic. Because his competitor Biden is incapable of doing this, he is guaranteed to lead the situation to a colossal strengthening of Russian-Chinese ties, "the analyst said.

At the same time, the United States is unlikely to be able to create an anti-Chinese "alliance of democracies", since many countries are closely cooperating with China in trade and economic relations, as well as in other areas, analysts say.

“Moreover, to organize such a structure, there must be a consensus on this topic in the United States itself, which we still do not observe,” Vasiliev noted.

"Discredit Beijing"

Recall that relations between Beijing and Washington escalated after the United States issued a series of accusations against China related to the spread of coronavirus infection. The American side blames China for the pandemic. However, China has repeatedly refuted such theses of the United States.

The deterioration of relations between the PRC and the United States was also facilitated by other claims from Washington, in particular those related to the resources of the South China Sea, the situation in Hong Kong, where protests have continued since last year, and also regarding the military potential of the PRC.

Recall that Washington insists that Beijing join the negotiation process of the United States and Russia on the extension of the START III Treaty (on the reduction of strategic offensive arms). However, Beijing has already stated that it is not interested in this kind of cooperation, since the PRC's nuclear arsenal is smaller than that of the United States and Russia.

At the same time, the aggravation of US-China relations is accompanied by the introduction of mutual sanctions. Washington began to impose new restrictions, and Beijing, in turn, announced retaliatory measures.

In addition, the United States demanded that China close its consulate general in Houston. The PRC condemned this decision of the American side and in response declared the need to stop the work of the US Consulate General in the Chinese city of Chengdu.

Describing the foreign policy of the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on July 17, noted that the American side is taking the policy of unilateral action and intimidation to the extreme. Earlier, the head of the Chinese foreign policy department said that relations between Washington and Beijing "faced the most serious challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties."

According to analysts, the United States has recently begun to "play the anti-China card more actively." And all the latest accusations against Beijing are aimed at confirming the main thesis of the head of the White House about the danger posed by China, experts say.

• Flags of the USA and China
• Reuters
• © Yuri Gripas

“While the United States is drowning in an internal struggle, the PRC is building up its capabilities in many areas. And it becomes especially important for Trump to discredit Beijing when the Democrats are ready to destroy half of the country in order to overthrow it, ”said Vladimir Vasiliev.

At the same time, the analyst believes that the nature of the development of US-Chinese relations will depend on the course of the election campaign and who will eventually take the presidency.

“It is believed that the Democrats have a softer stance towards the PRC. However, even here it is difficult to predict how Biden might behave if he suddenly takes the place of the head of the White House. If the elite understands that Trump is ready to protect their interests, they will vote for him. And then relations between Washington and Beijing will most likely continue to deteriorate, ”concluded Vasiliev.