Russian security chief tells Wang Yi that US ‘containment’ must be countered

While the world waits apprehensively to see how US president-elect Donald Trump may reconfigure great power politics, Russia’s top security official Sergei Shoigu told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday that Moscow and Beijing face an “urgent task” to work together to counter “containment” by the US.

Shoigu’s meeting with Wang in Beijing was the first between high-level Russian and Chinese officials since Trump won the US presidential election last week.

China has deepened its “partnership with no limit” with Russia – including military and defence ties – since Moscow was isolated and sanctioned by the West over its invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

But US policy regarding Ukraine might change under Trump, and that has introduced new variables to the great power triangle.

Trump, who had often expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has criticised the scale of US military and financial support for Kyiv and called for a quick end to the war. He is also expected to bring in a number of China hawks such as US Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Michael Waltz into his administration.

According to a read-out by the Chinese foreign ministry, Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, and Wang, China’s top envoy, discussed major security issues of mutual interest, reached new consensus, increased mutual trust and agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.