Beijing, Jul 17 (PTI) – China expressed its support for Russia's proposal to reactivate the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, emphasizing that cooperation among the three nations not only benefits their individual interests but also enhances regional and global security and stability.
The Russian news outlet Izvestia reported on Thursday that Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko highlighted Moscow's intention to revive the RIC format and is currently in discussions with Beijing and New Delhi regarding this matter. "This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work, because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS,” Rudenko stated.
He further noted the "absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate. In this regard, we expect that the countries will agree to resume work within the framework of the RIC -- of course, when relations between these states reach a level that allows them to work in a trilateral format."
In response to Rudenko's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian remarked on Thursday that "China-Russia-India cooperation not only serves the respective interests of the three countries but also helps uphold peace, security, stability and progress in the region and the world.” Lin affirmed China's readiness to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation.
The renewed interest from both Russia and China in the RIC was noted following the visit of India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, to China for the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting. During his visit, he engaged in discussions with several top Chinese officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Lavrov previously mentioned that joint efforts in the RIC had been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and later by the India-China military standoff in Eastern Ladakh in 2020. This standoff caused a prolonged freeze in India-China relations, only thawing after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan last year during the BRICS summit.
Since that diplomatic encounter, there has been a sustained effort to normalize relations through dialogue. Jaishankar's recent visit followed earlier diplomatic trips by India's NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to China.
Lavrov asserted in May that Russia, maintaining close ties with both India and China, was "genuinely interested" in renewing the RIC format. He noted that the trilateral cooperation initiated by former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov had previously resulted in 20 meetings between the countries at various levels.
The three nations were instrumental in the formation of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and spearheaded the New Development Bank (NDB), which now consists of ten member states.
The RIC's significance had waned due to the escalating rivalry between India and China and Beijing's ongoing support of Pakistan's anti-India endeavors. Recently, however, there has been increased interest from Russia and China in reviving RIC, prompted in part by India's participation in the Quad alliance – composed of the US, India, Japan, and Australia – perceived by Beijing as a coalition aimed at countering its influence.
Additionally, Russia is wary of India's deepening ties with the European Union amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as noted by Russian analysts.
Lidia Kulik, a senior researcher at the Centre for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, opined that any cooperative format within Eurasia is beneficial due to the region's prolonged exposure to conflicts. She emphasized the significance of Russia's role for India, given the existing tensions with Beijing, and highlighted the potential for cooperation in the RIC format with Moscow’s involvement.
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