Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Sunday, where the two leaders discussed bilateral ties with the United States and explored prospects for resolving the war in Ukraine, according to statements released by both nations’ foreign ministries.
The meeting came ahead of Lavrov’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ summit hosted by China.
Russia’s foreign ministry said,
“The parties also discussed relations with the United States and prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis.”
It added that both countries emphasized the need to strengthen coordination on the international stage, including in the United Nations, UN Security Council, SCO, BRICS, G20, and APEC.
China’s Foreign Ministry echoed that sentiment, stating that the close contact between Moscow and Beijing aims to
“promote the development and revitalisation of each other, and jointly respond to the challenges brought about by a turbulent and changing world.”
Wider Global Focus
In addition to Ukraine and the U.S., the Korean Peninsula and Iran’s nuclear issue were also discussed, according to Beijing. These discussions further underscore the broad strategic alignment between China and Russia, who declared a “no limits” partnership in February 2022, just days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While Putin has occasionally referred to China as an “ally,” Beijing has carefully positioned itself as a neutral actor in global conflicts, even as its ties with Moscow deepen. Meanwhile, Washington continues to view China as its top strategic competitor and Russia as the foremost nation-state threat to global stability.
The Lavrov-Wang Yi meeting reflects a growing axis of cooperation between the two powers in response to increasing geopolitical pressure from the West.