TEHRAN, Sep. 09 (MNA) – Russia and China will fight together against the expansion of the NATO and the "double containment" of Moscow and Beijing, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China (NPC) Li Zhanshu said.

Li Zhanshu made the remarks speaking at a meeting with the leaders of State Duma factions on Friday, Tass reported.

"They (NATO countries) hammer together narrow-bloc structures as well as implement Indo-Pacific strategy precisely in order to contain our development through two oceans - the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. From this standpoint, the pertinence of bolstering our strategic interaction will only grow and we will battle together their hegemony and the policy of force," he noted.

The official noted that the joint counteraction to American hegemony, harassment and the policy of force is an important direction in strategic interaction of both countries. "We see how nowadays, the Americans view Russia and China as their strategic rivals in order to maintain its domination worldwide. And they implement the double containment against us. This is about unchecked NATO expansion eastward and profound meddling in the affairs of the Asia-Pacific region. As well as about their attempt to reduce our strategic space on the Eurasian continent," he added.

Li Zhanshu stressed that China and Russia "are in the forefront of shaping a new type of transnational relations considering that the more complicated the external situation is, the more pertinent it is for us to boost strategic support and interaction."

MP/PR