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The following is my translation of a article by Russia’s Sputnik newsagency in Chinese, published online last night (Tuesday night) and updated this morning (Wednesday) Greenwich Mean Time. It is billed a “commentary”, but doesn’t really match the criteria. It looks more like a report. The 11th Moscow Conference on International Security is its main topic, but it also seems to contain some carefully calibrated propaganda, targeted at a Chinese readership.

The article starts with a reference to Putin’s video address to the conference, but then gathers assessments from a number of Chinese and Russian pundits.

Links within blockquotes have been added during translation.

Another video address, Putin on August 15 (CCTV)

NATO links up with AUKUS to put pressure on China and Russia
北约联合AUKUS是为了施压中俄
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Russian-Chinese relations aren’t influenced by fluctuations in the global situation. Russia’s and China’s cooperation in the field of security won’t pose a problem to third parties. Even though the West is trying to isolate Russia, there is no change in Sino-Russian friendship.
俄罗斯和中国的关系不受世界局势波动的影响。俄中在安全领域的合作不会给第三方带来问题。尽管西方企图孤立俄罗斯，但中俄友谊不变。
Russian president Putin pointed out in his video message to the 11th Moscow International Security Conference participants and guests that most countries were prepared to defend their sovereignty and national interests. The Russian president also said that a multipolar world is now taking shape and that new economic and political centers are continuously becoming stronger.
俄罗斯总统普京在向第十一届莫斯科国际安全会议与会者和嘉宾的视频致辞中指出，大多数国家准备捍卫本国主权和国家利益。 俄罗斯总统还说，多极世界正在逐渐形成，新的经济和政治中心也在不断加强。
Referring to global security threats, Putin pointed out that America was trying to change the relations between the nations in the Asia-Pacific region in accordance with its own wishes. Carrying out the so-called “Indo-Pacific strategy” was essentially about creating a military and political alliance controlled by Washington. In his speech to the conference’s participants, Putin emphasized that “it can’t be ruled out that NATO will carry out comprehensive integration with the already-created AUKUS group”.
谈到全球安全威胁，普京指出，美国试图按照自己的意愿改变亚太地区现存的国家间关系体系。推行所谓“印太战略”，实质上就是为了打造华盛顿控制的军事政治联盟。普京在向与会者发表的讲话中强调：“不排除北约同已经创建的 AUKUS 集团进行全面整合这一走向。”
Anatoly Smirnov, director of the National Institute of Research of Global Security, pointed out in an interview with Sputnik that Asian countries have similar concerns about these processes.
国家全球安全研究所所长阿纳托利·斯米尔诺夫在接受俄罗斯卫星通讯社采访时指出，亚洲国家对这些进程也有类似的担忧。
Anatoly Smirnov said: “The strengthening of NATO integration with AUKUS is about putting double pressure on China and on Russia’s east. This includes roping Japan and South Korea into AUKUS. They want to make Russia and China divert resources for their countries’ development plans into the protection of their sovereignty. At the same time, America and the European Union leaders also try to create trouble for countries that reject these policies. Many Asian countries understand this policy very clearly, a rip-off policy that includes all kinds of pressure, containment, blackmail and bluff, financial and sanction obstacles and rude campaigning for American and Western interests.”
阿纳托利·斯米尔诺夫说：“西方加强北约同AUKUS的整合是为了向中国和俄罗斯东部实施双重压力。包括拉拢日本和韩国加入AUKUS。他们想让俄罗斯与中国把资源从本国发展计划中挪出，以用于保护其主权。与此同时，美国和欧盟领导人还试图为那些拒绝与响应他们政策的国家制造麻烦。亚洲许多国家已经清楚地意识到这种包括各种施压、围堵、讹诈、金融和制裁障碍、无礼游说美国和西方利益在内的敲诈政策。”
Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu was among the more than 800 delegates from 76 countries attending the conference. Current affairs commentator and a high-level researcher at People’s University of China School of Finance Zhou Rong points out that the Chinese defense minister’s visit shows the continuous development of relations between the two armies.
来自76个国家的800多名代表中，中国国防部长李尚福出席了本届会议。时事评论员、中国人民大学重阳金融研究院高级研究员周戎就此指出，中国防长访问俄罗斯体现了两军关系的不断发展。
Expert Zhou Rong says: “When Li Shangfu visited Russia for the first time after taking office, the two sides already exchanged opinions about Sino-Russian strategic cooperation. His further visit to Russia after four months marks the concrete implementation and advance of the two countries’ strategic military cooperation. A framework for Chinese-Russian military exercises have been planned for a long time. So, the Chinese defense minister’s visit is even more about strengthening trust in the development of strategic relations between the two countries’ military, to demonstrate that there is no change in Chinese-Russian determination to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership relations. No matter how much the international community may isolate Russia, the Chinese government’s friendship with Russia doesn’t change.”
周戎专家说：“李尚福防长就职后首次访问俄罗斯时，双方已就中俄战略合作交换了意见。时隔四个月后再次访俄，则是对两国已达成军事战略合作的具体落实和推进。另外，中俄战略军演框架早已规划。因此中国防长访问俄罗斯，更多的是增进两国军队发展战略关系的信心，表现出中国与俄罗斯发展全面战略合作伙伴关系的决心不变。无论国际社会如何孤立俄罗斯，中国政府对俄罗斯人民的友好情谊不变。”
Expert Zhou Rong believes that one of the goals of the Chinese defense minister’s particiipation in the Moscow Security Conference is to convey the message to his foreign colleagues that China’s position concerning the Ukraine crisis hasn’t changed.
周戎专家认为，中国防长参加莫斯科安全会议的目的之一就是向外国同行传达中国对乌克兰危机的立场。
Concerning this, Zhou Rong’s thought is that “it needs to be emphasized that China’s support doesn’t mean that its position concerning the Russian-Ukrainian crisis has changed. China has always emphasized its stance on the side of peace. We see that defense minister Li Shangfu’s main objective is to participate in the 11th Moscow Security Conference. I believe that while visiting Russia, he will emphasize China’s just position on the Ukraine crisis and, from the platform in Moscow, convey this attitude to the world. Not long ago, China also took part in a peace summit held by Saudi Arabia. The nature of that summit underwent a dramatic change by China’s participation. Without China, it could have been seen as an anti-Russian-alliance summit. After the summit, the Chinese and Russian foreign ministers also had a timely telephone call and exchanged their views. This time’s Chinese-Russian defense ministers dialogue can move the awareness further that the fundamentals of Chinese-Russian cooperation won’t change, that China’s fundamental position concerning the Ukraine problem won’t change, and that China will continue to promote regional stability and the concept of global peace.”
周戎专家就此发表了自己的看法：“需要强调的是，中国的支持并不意味着中国在俄乌问题上的立场发生变化，中国始终强调站在和平一方。我们看到，李尚福防长赴俄罗斯的主要目的是参加第十一届莫斯科国际安全会议。相信访俄期间，他也会强调中国在乌克兰危机上的公正立场，并通过莫斯科平台向世界传递这一态度。不久前中国还参加了沙特举办的和平峰会。该峰会因为中国的参加，性质发生极大变化。如若没有中国，可能就会被认为是反俄联盟峰会。峰会后中俄外长也及时互通电话，就问题交换了意见。此次中俄防长对话能够进一步强化意识，即中俄两国军事合作的基本盘不会变，中国在乌克兰问题上的基本立场不会变，中国将继续促进地区稳定，推动世界和平理念。这也恰恰是中国不会接受俄罗斯被孤立的原因。”
In his speech on the first day of the conference, Li Shangfu told the plenum that Chinese-Russian comprehensive strategic partnership relations had entered a new era of sustainable and stable development. Chinese-Russian relations in the military field had established an example of cooperation that was non-algined, non-confrontative and not directed against third parties.
在会议的第一天，李尚福在全体会议上致辞时指出，中俄全面战略协作伙伴关系进入新时代持续稳定发展。中俄军事领域关系树立了不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三方的合作典范。
Russian defense minister Shoigu’s assesssment of Russian-Chinese relations was similar. He said that from every perspective, these relations were already exceeding the level of strategic partnership.
俄罗斯国防部长绍伊古对俄中关系也做出了类似的评估。他说，从各个方面来看，这些关系已经超越了战略关系的水平。
Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ deiputy director Alexander Lomanov said in an interview with Sputnik that Russia and China have shaped a common language to describe mutual cooperation. It was very important that the two countries’ military people also had this common language.
俄罗斯科学院世界经济与国际关系研究所副所长亚历山大·洛马诺夫在接受俄罗斯卫星通讯社采访时表示，俄罗斯和中国已经形成了描述双边合作的共同语言，两国军人也有这种共同语言非常重要。
Expert Alexander Lomanov said: “That this common language has received approval and acceptance by the two countries’ military circles is an extremely important and constructive signal. It shows that Russian-Chinese relations, in all areas, have common principles and foundations. That’s to say, they are predictable. These declarations by the two defense ministers have explicitly confirmed that these relations won’t be influenced by situational turmoil. Sometimes, the West exerts more pressure on China than on Russia, and at other times, Russia faces greater pressure than China. These changes in Western policies are just there to create splits, to create the illusion in China that if Russia or China weaken their bilateral relations, they can earn themselves some advantages and convenience in their relations with the West. China and Russia have left this stage behind themselves and won’t fall for these kinds of tricks. This proves the maturity of relations. The two sides are perfectly aware that any promises and threats by Western countries aiming at Russia and China doubting each other are meaningless. The West is not prepared to develop substantial and constructrive relations with Russia or China. Only if the West arrives at the belief that it can’t destroy Russian-Chinese cooperation, Russia and China can face a matching partner – the Western powers.”
亚历山大·洛马诺夫专家说：“这一共同语言得到两国军界的认可和接受，是一个非常积极和建设性的信号。这表明俄中关系在各个领域都有共同的原则和基础。也就是说，它们都是可预测的。两国防长的这些表态明确证实了这些关系不受局势动荡的影响。有时西方对中国施加的压力比对俄罗斯大，有时俄罗斯面临的压力比中国大。西方政策的这些变化不过是为了制造分裂，给其中一方造成一种错觉，即俄中若削弱两国关系，可以给它们各自与西方的关系带来一些好处和方便。中国和俄罗斯已经超越了这个阶段，不会上这类伎俩的当。这证明了双边关系的成熟。双方十分清楚，西方国家任何旨在让俄中相互怀疑的许诺和恐吓都是毫无意义的。西方并没有准备与俄罗斯或中国发展实质性的建设性关系。只有当西方确信破坏不了俄中合作时，俄中两国才能面对一个配得上的对话者——西方大国。”
Alexander Lomanov emphasized the egalitarian characteristic of Russian-Chinese cooperation, pointing out that there were essential differences to Western-built alliances of all kinds.
亚历山大·洛马诺夫强调了俄中合作的平等特点，指出这与西方建立的各类联盟有着本质区别。
He said: “China has continuously emphasized during recent years that Sino-Russian relations are more than allied relations, that they go beyond alliance relations, this is a mechanism of higher quality. This is indeed the case. Western alliances are compeletely built on hierarchy. There are differences between major countries and non-major countries. Non-major countries must obey the major countries’ orders. Often, Western countries’ alliances are directed against others, against “bad” countries. Among Western countries, Russia and china are more and more often considered “bad” countries. At the same time, Russia and China actively protect themselves, but they won’t create trouble for others or use their combined economic and military strength to threaten others.”
他说：“近年来中方不止一次强调：中俄关系高于联盟关系，并超过联盟关系，这是一个质量更高的机制。事实的确如此。西方联盟完全建立在等级制度之上，有主要国家和非主要国家之别，非主要国家必须服从主要国家的命令。 通常，西方联盟是针对某人、针对“不好”的国家。在西方联盟中俄中越来越经常被列为“坏”国家。与此同时俄罗斯和中国正在积极努力保护自己，但不会以给他人制造麻烦或利用其经济和军事潜力的综合实力来恐吓他人为代价。”
On the Moscow International Security Conference, both the Russian and Chinese defense ministers have expressed their willingness to strengthen military support with the Asia-Pacific region. Shoigu pointed out that one of Russia’s most important cooperation partners there was India, and that Russia had historically established special relations with India. With Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, Indonesia, Bangla Desh and other countries, Russia shares the experience of joint struggle against colonial rule.
在莫斯科国际安全会议上，俄中两国防长都表示要加强与亚太地区的军事合作。绍伊古指出，俄罗斯在该地区最重要的合作伙伴之一是印度，俄罗斯历史上与印度建立了一种特殊关系。俄罗斯与越南、缅甸、蒙古、老挝、印度尼西亚、孟加拉国等国都拥有共同反对殖民统治的斗争经验。
Li Shangfu said that China wanted to strengthen military exchange with all countries of the world, with ASEAN countries and bordering countries, and to improve the development and level of military relations with European Union countries. On the foundations of mutual trust, cooperation and win-win, China would also strengthen its traditional friendship with Latin America, the Caribbean and southern Pacific countries.
李尚福防长表示，中国愿加强同世界各国军队的军事交流，加强同东盟国家和周边国家的军事合作，提高与欧盟国家的军事关系发展水平。并在平等互信、合作共赢的基础上加强同拉美、加勒比、南太地区国家的传统友谊。