Russia, China to deepen security cooperation in Asia, Europe

‘China will support Russia’s stable development under the leadership of Putin,’ says Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after discussing enhancing security cooperation across Eurasia

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov engaged in high-level talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to Beijing. 

The discussions encompassed a spectrum of regional and global issues, notably including the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

China vows to strentghen cooperation with Russia

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would strengthen strategic cooperation with Moscow and that the two countries must stand on the side of “fairness and justice”. 

In meetings, Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised that “China will support Russia’s stable development under the leadership of Putin.”

The discussions extended to various international and regional issues of mutual concern, underscoring the shared strategic cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. Lavrov expressed gratitude for China’s support, particularly during Russia’s recent political events.

“Under the strong leadership of President Putin, the Russian people will have a bright future”

Lavrov also thanked China for its “support” after Putin’s recent re-election.

“Xi Jinping… was among the first ones to send congratulations to the president-elect Putin, and we are overall grateful to our Chinese friends for this support,” Lavrov said. 

While China has not provided direct military support for Russia, it has backed it diplomatically in blaming the West for provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch the war and refrained from calling it an invasion in deference to the Kremlin.

“China supports the convening at an appropriate time of an international meeting that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, in which all parties can participate equally and discuss all peace solutions fairly,” Wang said.

China and Russia condemn ‘unlawful sanctions’ imposed by West

Addressing reporters after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Lavrov emphasized the necessity of deepening security collaboration across Europe and Asia to counteract what he described as U.S. attempts “to impose its will on the region.” 

Lavrov and Wang agreed to initiate a “dialogue with the involvement of our other like-minded people” to address the challenges at hand.

Both sides strongly condemned what they termed “unlawful sanctions” imposed by the West, which he said violated “international norms in a rude manner.

‘We must oppose Cold War thinking’

Lavrov accused the West of seeking to impede China’s “economic, technological development opportunities, to put it simply, to eliminate the competitors.”

Wang Yi, in turn, said that China and Russia must take a clear-cut stand on the side of historical progress, on the side of fairness and justice. 

Emphasizing solidarity, Wang stressed the importance of fairness and justice, calling for strengthened strategic cooperation between China and Russia against NATO expansion.

“(We must) oppose all acts of hegemony, tyranny and bullying, oppose Cold War thinking and separatist provocations and actively push for the construction of a common future for all humankind. NATO should not extend its hand to our common homeland” Wang Yi stated.

Wang said Beijing and Moscow should oppose “hegemonism” and “any ‘small circle’ that engages in bloc confrontation.” 

Source: Newsroom