Continued demonization and pressure put on China could eventually provoke a conflict between the two nations, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

In a recent interview with Izvestiya, Ryabkov noted that, “With regard to the campaign of China’s demonization that has been developed for many years, it is hard for Americans to abandon this logic of pressure. The pressure may finally result in a clash.”

In recent months, Moscow and Beijing have coordinated diplomatic efforts on a range of issues, from the war in Syria to the THAAD deployment in South Korea, and are currently developing plans for closer military cooperation.

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu signed a roadmap for military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in June.

Ryabkov’s comments also coincide with yet another “freedom-of-navigation operation” conducted by the US Navy in the South China Sea.

On Sunday, a US a guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, in the South China Sea. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the US Navy of unauthorized entry into China’s territorial waters, calling the incident a “serious political and military provocation”.