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India and Russia back China's call for 'new world order'

Foreign ministers of two nations meet Chinese counterpart in Beijing as China 'seeks to counterbalance US influence' in the Asia-Pacific

Russia and India added their voices on Monday to China's call for a new world order and endorsed Beijing's plans to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

The foreign ministers of the three nations met in the capital for talks just a week after US President Barack Obama made a high-profile trip to India.

After Monday's  meeting, President Xi Jinping gave a positive assessment of China's ties with the two nations, despite New Delhi's apparent distrust towards Beijing.

In a joint communique, the three nations vowed to "build a more just, fair and stable international political and economic order" and a "multi-polar" world.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said all states should be involved in creating "a modern security architecture" in the Asia-Pacific; his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi , said the region should not be caught up in a zero-sum game.

"We advocate the principle of partnership rather than alliance," Wang said.

The three nations also gave their support to efforts to put second world war commemorations on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly.

"We will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the UN and the world's victory against fascism. This provides a great opportunity for countries in the world to cherish history and look forward to the future," Wang said.

Lavrov and Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj backed the call, with Lavrov saying the world needed to be on alert for fascism. "We must remember the tragic lesson of the events of those years," he said.

China has sought to spearhead efforts for the anniversary, a move that some observers have described as an attempt to exert pressure on Japan. A military parade will be held in Beijing in September, to which Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to be invited.

The hosting of the two foreign ministers is seen as an attempt by Beijing to present a united international front as a counterbalance to Washington, after Obama's visit to India.

During Obama's trip, India and the US said freedom of navigation should be protected across the South China Sea, over which Beijing claims sovereignty.

But Xi was positive on Sino-Indian ties as he meet Swaraj yesterday, saying the relationship had "entered a new stage".

"The two nations have to properly control their differences with patience, and the differences should not affect the overall picture of their relations," the China News Service quoted him as saying.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as India, Russia back call for 'new world order'

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