China backs Russia's move for trilateral tie-up with US

BEIJING: Amid rising tensions with the US over Taiwan and South China Sea issues, China today backed Russian proposal for a trilateral tie-up among Washington, Moscow and Beijing to address global problems.

"China, Russia and US are all major countries with worldwide influence and permanent members of the UN Security Council," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, commenting on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks that the three nations should increase trilateral cooperation.

"For world peace, stability and development, we share a great responsibility," Hua said.

Addressing the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, Lavrov on Wednesday said that Moscow stands for building fair and complementary cooperation with Washington and Beijing in the economic and security area.

Moscow would like the US, China and Russia to build relations with each other, Lavrov was quoted as saying Russian state agency TASS.

As for global security issues, the three countries play a very important role in solving them, he said.

Donald Trump after assuming office as US President moved closer to Russia, contrary to his predecessor Barack Obama's hardline policy towards Moscow.

Trump, however, started his tenure setting off barrage of tensions with China over one-China policy involving Taiwan, seeking halt to the island building by Beijing over the disputed SCS besides threats to impose tariff restrictions.

"We aim to build a generally stable and positive major country relationship with Russia. We deepen our comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and we also work to promote the major country relations with the US. So we are willing to work together with Russia and US to address the problems and challenges," Hua said.

"All three countries have great influence in the world and part of permanent five of the UN Security Council. Positive interactions actions between the three sides are not only beneficial to the three sides but also to the development of peace and development of in the region and the world," she said.

The three countries should have positive interactions like Lavrov said, Hua stated.

"The development of the trilateral relationship will not be targeted against any other part. It will be within frame work of major countries relationship featuring win-win cooperation," she added.