Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke this Sunday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, about their countries' relations with the United States, the situation in Ukraine and other hot topics of international interest, according to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Lavrov arrived in Beijing earlier in the day after visiting North Korea.

“The parties discussed relations with the United States and the possibilities of resolving the Ukrainian crisis in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. Other hot topics were addressed, including the Iran-Israel conflict and the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” the statement said. Lavrov will participate in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) starting Tuesday.

Lavrov and Wang held “an in-depth exchange of views” on issues of interaction within the SCO and “devoted special attention to the content of the upcoming meeting” of the organization, the Russian ministry said. Both leaders “expressed their satisfaction with the positive dynamics of the broad Russian-Chinese interaction and discussed the bilateral agenda in depth.”

Constructive Key

The foreign ministers of both countries “confirmed their firm mutual support on issues relating to the core interests of each side, including the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and state unity based on its regional and ethnic diversity.” “The conversation took place in a constructive tone and based on the trust inherent in Russian-Chinese relations,” concluded Russian diplomacy.

China, a diplomatic and economic ally of Russia, has never denounced the large-scale Russian assault launched by the latter in Ukraine in 2022, nor has it urged the Kremlin to withdraw its troops. However, Beijing regularly calls for an end to the fighting and accuses Western powers of fueling the conflict by delivering arms to Ukraine.

China officially presents itself as neutral, but several of kyiv's allies see Beijing as providing Moscow with vital support.