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Russia, China don’t seek ‘to be in the driver’s seat’ in world affairs - Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov drew attention to "absolute similarity in the attitude" of Russia and China toward "various kinds of provocative actions, the source of which is the United States"
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Sergei Bobylev/TASS
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. Russia and China do not aspire to be in charge of the world, while some other countries do, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"Actualizing their bilateral relations, it is exactly Russia and China that don’t seek to be in the driver’s seat in the world. We know that other countries do show such tendency," Peskov said in a fragment of the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, shown on Sunday.

The spokesman also drew attention to "absolute similarity in the attitude [of Russia and China] toward various kinds of provocative actions, the source of which is the United States". Moscow and Beijing are at one in their assessment of the "inadmissibility of such destabilizing behavior," he added.

The Russian and Chinese presidents, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, met on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand last week. They met for bilateral talks and also in a three-way format with the participation of the Mongolian president. The presidents also took part in a meeting of the Council of the SCO Heads of State.

Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov reported later that all the main issues had been discussed. The Chinese leader stressed that China was ready to work together with Russia, to provide mutual support on issues of each other's key interests.

This was a second meeting in person for the two leaders this year. Their previous meeting was in February, when Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.