Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged on Tuesday, alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, to bolster cooperation with Moscow and defend "fairness and justice" with its neighbour.
Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for a two-day official visit, as both nations sought to strengthen their ties amid Russia’s ongoing offensive in Ukraine.
The two countries have ramped up economic, military and diplomatic collaboration in recent years, with their "strategic partnership" deepening since Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February 2022.
Many experts give China the edge due to its economic and diplomatic might, over a Russia largely isolated from Western nations, Europe in particular.
"China will support Russia’s stable development under (President Vladimir) Putin’s leadership," Wang Yi assured Sergei Lavrov, as reported by Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
He further added that Beijing and Moscow will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation globally while providing each other with significant backing.
"People’s support is a source of progress in Russia. I believe under President Putin’s firm leadership, the Russian people will have a bright future," Wang Yi continued, according to Russian media outlet Izvestia.
In a video released by Izvestia on Telegram, Lavrov thanked Beijing for its “support” towards President Putin following his recent re-election in a poll where no real rival was allowed to compete.
He noted that China’s President "Xi Jinping (…) was one of the first to send congratulations to the re-elected President Putin, and we are grateful to our Chinese friends for this support."
"The election results confirmed the Russian people’s deep trust in our leader and ongoing domestic and foreign policies," Lavrov added, according to RIA Novosti.
In March 2023, Xi Jinping visited Moscow, reconfirming with Vladimir Putin an "unlimited friendship" between their countries, bonded by their shared denunciation of what they perceive as Western dominance on the international stage.
The two presidents also met on the sidelines of the New Silk Road Forum in Beijing in October.
"As permanent members of the UN Security Council and emerging powers, China and Russia must clearly stand for historic progress, fairness, and justice," Wang Yi declared following his meeting with Lavrov.
He emphasised that resistance should be shown to any domination, tyranny or intimidation, cold war mentality, or any incitement to division and confrontation.
Wang Yi disclosed that he had also discussed the situation in Gaza and Ukraine with his Russian counterpart.
"China will always play a constructive role on the international stage and in multilateral affairs, never fuelling the fire or taking advantage of it," asserted China’s top foreign policy chief.
Beijing calls for a political solution to halt the fighting in Ukraine. While advocating for respect of all states’ territorial integrity, including Ukraine’s, China has never overtly condemned Russia for its military operation.
Consequently, Western nations regularly urge Beijing to play a more active role in ending the hostilities, using its influence over Moscow. On the Israeli-Palestinian matter, China frequently calls for a ceasefire in Gaza to safeguard civilians.
Lavrov on Tuesday also lambasted the “illegal sanctions” imposed on his country by the West, claiming they violate international norms.
"Such policies are also being actively applied against (China)," he complained. He accused the West of trying to limit China’s "economic and technological development opportunities, simply put, to eliminate the competitors."
