Beijing denies threats to any country by Russia-China military alliance

The military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is not directed against any other country and poses no threat to anybody, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a briefing on April 11.

"We have repeatedly stated our position. Our cooperation [between China and Russia] is not directed against any third country, it complies with international law and practice and poses no threat to any country," the diplomat told TASS in reply to a request to comment on the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s annual diplomatic report, "No one has the right to make irresponsible remarks in this regard."

"We call on Japan to correct the erroneous practice of escalating regional tensions, to stop provoking and creating bloc confrontation, as well as to continue building constructive and stable relations with China," the spokesman added.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry earlier released its annual diplomatic report dubbed the Diplomatic Bluebook. The document said that the joint activities of the Chinese and Russian armed forces near the Japanese borders were of serious concern to Japan’s national security. The Diplomatic Bluebook also pointed out that the Japanese government considered China’s current foreign policy and military activity to be the "greatest strategic challenge" to the international order.