Russia says it will "combine" with China if they faced a threat

Russia said on Wednesday that its partnership with China was not aimed against third countries but the two powers could "combine potential" if faced with a threat from the United States.

"I would like to remind you that Moscow and Beijing will respond to 'double containment' by the United States with 'double counteraction'," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said when asked about a possible deployment of U.S. missiles in Japan.

The Japan Times reported on Sept. 7 that the United States had expressed an interest in deploying a Typhon mid-range missile system to Japan for joint military exercises.

"It is clear that both Russia and China will react to the emergence of additional and very significant missile threats, and their reaction will be far from being political, which has also been repeatedly confirmed by the two countries," Zakharova told reporters at her weekly briefing.

She said Russia and China had a strategic partnership that was not aggressive in its intent.