Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov in Beijing this Tuesday (9), state media reported, in yet another sign of the importance that China gives to its increasingly strong ties with Moscow.
Lavrov is making a two-day visit to the Chinese capital after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested last month that he was considering China for his first trip abroad after securing his hold on power in a contested election process.
State media did not immediately release further details of the meeting.
The meeting between Lavrov and Xi is the first in six years. The last meeting took place in 2018 weeks before a state visit by Putin to China – his first trip after winning another highly orchestrated Russian presidential election that year.
Since then, the two countries have increased their economic, commercial and diplomatic relations – including in the wake of Putin's war in Ukraine.
Beijing claims neutrality in the conflict but has emerged with a key economic lifeline for the isolated Russian economy and a firm diplomatic partner for Moscow in what they believe will be a containment of the West.
When a Russian lawmaker last month expressed his hope that Putin's first symbolic foreign trip of his new term would be to China, Putin said he would take that “into account.”
The Kremlin has not yet confirmed travel plans.
Putin last visited Beijing in October for the Belt and Road Forum. Xi paid a state visit to Moscow last March after entering his third term as Chinese president.
Lavrov also met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this Tuesday (9).
Wang praised the countries' ties as being elevated to the “highest level in history,” and agreed with shared views on the United States, saying they would “oppose a Cold War mentality” during a joint press conference after the meeting, cited by Chinese state media.
The two sides agreed that international meetings on Ukraine ignoring Moscow's interests “are useless,” Lavrov said, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Wang said China supports holding an international peace conference “recognized by Russia and Ukraine” with “equal participation of all parties and where all peace plans are discussed fairly,” according to a report. -Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
The statements come at a time of more questions about how to end the war in Ukraine.
Previous rounds of peace talks have been backed by Kiev and have not included Moscow, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seeks broad support for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops.
China has held talks with Switzerland about an upcoming international peace summit, according to state media, but has previously said such talks should be recognized by both Ukraine and Russia.
*CNN's Wayne Chang and Steven Jiang contributed to this report
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
