Russia accuses West of blatant pressure on China over Taiwan, expresses support to Beijing

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova attends a news conference in Moscow

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday the West was applying blatant pressure on China over Taiwan and its "provocative" actions undermined regional stability and international security.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that Moscow supported Chinese actions to defend its sovereignty.

China's defence ministry said on Friday that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan had seriously violated China's "One China Principle" and provisions of joint communiques between China and the U.S.

China on Wednesday announced steps against nine U.S. military-linked firms over U.S. weapon sales to Taiwan.

Russia, fighting NATO-supplied Ukrainian forces, and China, under pressure from a concerted U.S. effort to counter its growing military and economic strength, increasingly have found common geopolitical cause.

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)