China And Russia Signed MOU On Strengthening Maritime Law Enforcement Cooperation

(CTN News) – Following a conference that took place in a Russian city inside the Arctic Circle, close to the border with new Nato member Finland, China and Russia have inked an agreement to cooperate in maritime law enforcement.

According to official media, the MOU was signed on Tuesday by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Chinese Coast Guard. The agreement’s specifics have not been made public.

The agreement was the result of a two-day conference between the Chinese coastguard and the FSB that ended on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Yu Zhong, the head of the Chinese coastguard, and Vladimir Grigorovich Kulishov, the first deputy director of the FSB and the head of its border agency, served as the parties’ representatives at the signing ceremony.

China and Russia said they would “actively promote maritime law enforcement cooperation

The parties pledged to “actively promote maritime law enforcement cooperation, join forces to build a maritime community of destiny.

And make every effort to serve the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between China and Russia in the new era,” according to CCTV.

The agreement struck by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their discussions would be put into practise, according to the two parties.

In a joint declaration signed in 2022, the two leaders referred to the relationships between the nations as a “no-limits” collaboration.

According to CCTV, the Chinese team at the summit also saw a Russian Arctic marine drill.
The gathering was held in Murmansk, a city in northwest Russia near the Finnish border and inside the Arctic Circle.

With Sweden also in the queue to join the transatlantic security alliance and Finland joining Nato earlier this month, there has been a significant military buildup in the Arctic.

The Emergency Ministry of Russia sponsored an Arctic rescue practice earlier this month, which included participants from nine unspecified African, Latin American, and Eurasian nations as well as observers from at least 13 nations.

The Russian Navy also conducted extensive military training exercises.

Russia has urged non-Arctic countries, such as India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, to increase their commercial presence in the region by investing in shipping lanes, natural gas projects, power plants.

And other projects as a counterbalance to Nato.

China, which is a member of the Arctic Council with observer status, has also been stepping up its presence there.

China has the second-largest coastguard in the world

It concentrates on marine law enforcement activities such as fishery patrols, ship inspection and policing, search and rescue, and counter-smuggling and counter-piracy operations.

In recent years, the forces of China and Russia have engaged in a number of cooperative drills, including joint naval operations in the Pacific and Sea of Japan.