The U.S. State Department says growing cooperation between China and Russia is a threat to global security.

A spokesperson said Friday that the partnership will make the U.S. and other countries “less safe, less secure, and less prosperous.”

The remark came after China and Russia issued a joint statement defending North Korea.

Following a summit on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin called on other countries to stop applying “unilateral coercive measures and military pressure” on Pyongyang.

The U.S. also criticized China’s continued support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

The spokesperson said China provides nearly 80 percent of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain its war efforts.

South Korea’s foreign ministry also weighed in, calling the joint statement “regrettable.”