Xi pledges deeper partnership with Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping has reaffirmed plans to further strengthen strategic ties with Russia during a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has said.

The talks took place ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Council session in Tianjin.

Xi praised the state of Russian-Chinese relations, confirming his commitment to expanding the countries’ comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation. He also welcomed the upcoming visit of President Vladimir Putin, describing the relationship with his Russian counterpart as a “long-standing and good friendship.”

Xi and Lavrov discussed several key international and regional topics, although the Russian Foreign Ministry did not provide specifics. They also addressed bilateral political contacts, including preparations for Putin’s visit to China. Putin is expected to attend the SCO Heads of State Council meeting on September 1, the organization’s top decision-making body, and join events on September 3 marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan in World War II.

Earlier, Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the state of comprehensive partnership between Russia and China. Wang said China-Russia relations were “the most stable, mature and strategically valuable major-country relationship in the world,” according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release.

Lavrov is expected to take part in the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Council on Tuesday, which will discuss the organization’s future direction and key regional and global issues, including preparations for the leaders’ summit in September.