Expert: Lavrov probes how far can Beijing go in its anti-US politics

22.03.2021, Moscow.

Now is a good time to test possible anti-US measures with Chinese colleagues, noted Yury Byaly, the Vice President of the Experimental Creative Center (ECC) International Public Foundation on March 22 in a commentary for the Rossa Primavera News Agency.

The expert responded to the question about what meaning have the latest statements made by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the Chinese media. On March 22, Russia’s top diplomat said that Russia and China can reduce sanctions risks by strengthening independence in the financial sector. Countries should stop using payment systems controlled by the West, clarified the Russian Foreign Minister.

“I think that Lavrov is cautiously probing how far Beijing is prepared to go in its anti-US policies, including economics,” said Yury Byaly.

He also explained why Lavrov decided to make such statements right now, “This is a good moment since US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken received a rather harsh response for his quite arrogant and insulting comments at the latest meeting in Alaska. The elite groups in China that insist on taking steps towards the US in the hope of a change in US politics ‘after Trump’ seem to be discouraged. So, now is the time to test systemic mutual anti-US measures.”

Lavrov immediately listed several possible measures to counter the US influence: withdrawing from the US payment processing systems, transitioning to settlements in national currencies, creating a global “anti-sanction” coalition, clarified the expert.

However, Lavrov understands that China has very, very deep economic ties with the US, and their economic breakdown will be incomparably more painful to the Chinese economy than for today’s Russia. And that is why he calls for it without expecting too much, it seems. Therefore, he is making obvious hints that having hopes for an effective diplomatic dialogue with the US is only a waste of time, which is very needed for rebuilding the countermeasures,” summed up Yury Byaly.

On March 19, a high-ranking Chinese delegation met with a negotiating team from the US in Anchorage, Alaska. The protocol meeting turned into an almost hour-long dispute with mutual accusations of human rights violations.

During the talks, the US delegation raised questions about Beijing’s actions “in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyber attacks on the US,” as well as the alleged Chinese ”economic coercion” against its US allies.

US can no longer speak to China from a position of strength. China will not accept unwarranted accusations,” said Yang Jiechi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP), commenting on the talks with Blinken.

Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency

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