Russia and China have called on NATO to Stop Expanding. Moscow supports China on Taiwan

In a joint statement today, Russia and China called on NATO to stop expanding, and Moscow said it fully supported Beijing on the Taiwan issue and opposed the idea of ​​Taiwan's independence in any form, Reuters reported.

The statement, which contains harsh criticism of the United States, was issued during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing on the occasion of the opening of the Winter Olympics.

Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a warm and informative conversation in Beijing and described China-Russia relations as a developed partnership of a special nature, the Kremlin said.

Putin has announced a major new gas deal with China, another sign of deepening relations between Moscow and Beijing amid tense relations with the West.

"Russia reiterates its support for the 'One China' principle, reaffirming that Taiwan is an integral part of China and opposing any form of Taiwanese independence," the statement said.

China and Russia have expressed concern over "the progress of US plans to develop a global missile defense system and deploy elements in various regions of the world, combined with the development of high-precision non-nuclear weapons for disarmament strikes and other strategic goals."

Beijing and Moscow have said they oppose further NATO enlargement and have called on the alliance to abandon "its Cold War-era ideological approaches".

NATO's demand to halt its eastward expansion is one of the Kremlin's key demands in its opposition to the West over Ukraine. The United States has rejected some of Moscow's key demands but said it is ready to discuss other topics, such as arms control.

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