China-Russia pledge to boost cooperation to counter US challenge

China and Russia on Tuesday confirmed that the the two neighbouring countries will boost cooperation to counter attempts by the United States to build a group aimed at containing their military strength and human rights abuses.

Foreign Minister of China_ Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov also urged the administration of US President Joe Biden not to interfere in their nations' internal affairs_ during their two-day face-two-face meeting in China's southern city of Guilin.

Their agreement came after the so-called Quad_ comprising the US_ Japan_ India and Australia_ held their first summit on March 12.

Wang and Lavrov indicated their eagerness to bolster relations among the traditionally friendly nations of China_ Russia and North Korea in a bid to resist political pressure from the Biden administration launched in January.

At a joint press conference on Tuesday following his meeting with Lavrov_ Wang lambasted coordinated sanctions by the EU_ Britain_ Canada and the US against China over its human rights abuses in the country's far western Xinjiang region.

China and Russia oppose all forms of "unilateral" sanctions_ Wang said_ adding_ such measures will not be accepted by the international community. Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 also resulted in sanctions by Western nations.

Wang said the days when a few Western powers could interfere in China's internal affairs by fabricating lies and manipulating information were over.

In an interview with China's state-run television conducted before he visited Guilin_ Lavrov criticized the United States for trying to impose its views on other countries in order to maintain its global influence.

China and Russia's predecessor_ the Soviet Union_ were competitors during the Cold War_ as they were at odds over interpretations and practical applications of Marxism-Leninism_ the ideology of 20th-century communism.

The two nations_ however_ have been deepening their ties of late_ as their relations with the US have deteriorated.

North Korea_ meanwhile_ was established in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union. During the 1950-1953 Korean War_ North Korea supported by China and the Soviet Union fought against the South backed by US-led U.N. forces.