
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, held talks in Beijing on Sunday, marking their second meeting in the past three days.
As reported by Ukrinform, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov arrived in the Chinese capital to attend the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), scheduled for July 14–15 in Tianjin, near Beijing. This meeting concludes Lavrov’s tour of Asian countries, which began with his participation in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 10–11, where he also met Wang Yi on the sidelines. From Malaysia, Lavrov traveled to North Korea for a three-day visit before arriving in China.
During the talks in Beijing, Wang described China-Russia relations as “the most stable, mature, and strategically valuable among major global powers today.”
“The task for both sides now is to deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, advance the development and revitalization of our nations, and jointly respond to the challenges posed by a turbulent and changing world,” Wang said.
He emphasized that close contact between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers facilitates the timely implementation of previous bilateral agreements.
Wang also noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the global triumph over fascism in World War II. He underscored the importance of Beijing and Moscow “defending the correct historical narrative about World War II.”
Lavrov, in turn, expressed Russia’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with China across various sectors and to continue coordinating positions in international organizations. He also pledged full support for China’s chairmanship of the SCO this year.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s statement suggests that Wang and Lavrov devoted little time to discussing Russia’s war against Ukraine, which remains the core focus of the Kremlin’s resources and attention. Instead, the two sides exchanged views on “the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the ‘Ukrainian crisis’ (as China and Russia refer to Moscow’s war against Ukraine – ed.), and the Iranian nuclear issue.”
Western analysts note that frequent meetings between Chinese and Russian top diplomats are intended to signal Beijing’s backing of Putin’s regime and its aggressive foreign policy aimed at undermining the current global order. Despite China’s official stance of neutrality on the war, it has sharply expanded trade and economic ties with Russia over the past three years, becoming a crucial partner that enables Moscow to sustain its aggression against Ukraine.
As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine maintains dialogue with China and continues to urge Beijing to use its influence on Russia to end the war. At the same time, Kyiv has openly responded to evidence of Chinese citizens participating in the war or engaging in industrial espionage.
Photo: China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Source: Chinese and Russian Foreign Ministers meet for the second time in three days