IRIA News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing on April 8, 2024, on a two-day official trip, to meet his Chinese counterpart and President Xi Jinping.

Moscow and Beijing have agreed to deepen security cooperation in Asia and Europe to counter attempts by the United States to impose its will on the region, Lavrov said during his visit.

Lavrov’s two-day visit to the Chinese capital follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent indication that he was contemplating China as a potential destination for his inaugural overseas trip after securing an extended term following the landslide election victory.

Eurasian security cooperation

Moscow and Beijing agreed to engage on Eurasian security “with the participation of allies,” Lavrov said. The two diplomats condemned the West’s attempts “to destroy the existing security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific.

Wang cautioned NATO against “stretching its hands to our common home.” “Any remarks or deeds that cause division or add up to confrontation are not welcome in the Asia-Pacific, and they have no future,” the Chinese foreign minister emphasized.

“For a long time, there was a Euro-Atlantic security structure in the form of NATO, as well as the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe],” Lavrov said in a statement following discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Following talks in Beijing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the Plan of Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Russia and China for 2024.#RussiaChina pic.twitter.com/OJldz0Jtl0

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) April 9, 2024

During the news conference following the meeting, Wang refrained from directly referencing the U.S., NATO, or the conflict in Ukraine. However, he emphasized the importance for China and Russia to oppose hegemonic behavior and power politics, advocating for a multilateral approach in international affairs. He stressed the significance of standing up for fairness and justice.

Wang emphasized that China would continue to deepen its economic relationship with Moscow at a time when Western allies are trying to isolate Russia. China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3% from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9% in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13%.

Wang also mentioned that Xi and Putin would uphold frequent exchanges throughout the year, with anticipated visits to each other’s capitals.

“China and Russia have gone through ups and downs, and both sides have drawn lessons from historical experience and found a correct path to promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations,” Wang said. “Today’s good relations between China and Russia are hard-won and deserve to be cherished and carefully maintained by both sides.”

Earlier this week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen mentioned having challenging discussions with China during her visit regarding its collaboration with Moscow. She cautioned about potential “significant consequences” for Chinese companies aiding Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Unlawful sanctions

Lavrov criticized the “unlawful sanctions” imposed by the West against Russia and other nations. He cautioned that this sanctions policy is increasingly targeting China as well.

According to the Russia’s state-owned news agency, Wang assured Lavrov that China will back Russia’s stable development under President Putin’s leadership. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, its relationship with China has grown closer. During a summit last year, Presidents Putin and Xi declared that their countries’ ties were “entering a new era.”

Both ministers affirmed their countries’ commitment to bolstering ties in the fight against terrorism, especially in the context of the recent drone attacks on the Zaporizhzhi nuclear power plant.

Lavrov also stated that Russia wants an independent evaluation from the United Nations Security Council regarding the Ukrainian drone attacks targeting the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Ukraine has refuted any involvement in these drone attacks.

While China asserts its neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, it has faced criticism from the Western world for abstaining from condemning Russia’s actions. Lavrov’s official two-day visit to China coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Meeting with Xi Jinping

The meeting between Lavrov and Xi marks their first meeting in six years, which is noteworthy since the Chinese head of state rarely meets with visiting ministers. Their previous meeting in 2018 occurred just weeks before Putin’s state visit to China, representing his first such journey after winning another meticulously planned Russian presidential election that year.

“I am glad and honored to convey to you the warmest greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He highly valued your congratulatory address, which you issued following the presidential election held this March,” Lavrov said, talking to Xi.

Xi asked Lavrov to convey his greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Chinese state-owned media, Xi said, China and Russia have embarked on a new path of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between major countries and neighbors, which has benefited the two countries and their peoples and contributed wisdom and strength to international fairness and justice.