Russia denies anti-Western military alliance with China

Moscow, Oct 5 (UNI) Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov today denied that his country was planning an anti-Western military alliance with China.

''Claims that Russia and China are planning an anti-Western military alliance are unfounded,'' Ivanov said here in an interview to the polish newspaper Dziennik.

''Russia and China will be nothing but strategic partners on the international scene in the near future,'' he noted while answering a question about a possible military alliance based on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Mr Ivanov said Russia wanted ''to develop cooperation with China on the bilateral level and at various international organisations, which, naturally, includes the SCO.'' ''The cooperation between the two countries does not threaten other countries or target the creation of a new military-political union in Eurasia,'' Mr Invanov underscored.

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