Chinese Foreign Minister Wang will visit Russia next week, where it will be discussed with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, among other things, to deal with the war in Ukraine, Kremlin and Beijing announced on Friday. According to AFP and TASS reports, TASR reports this.
In recent years, Russia and China have strengthened economic cooperation and have strengthened their strategic partnership since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to AFP, China presents itself as a neutral party in connection with the Russian War in Ukraine, which it has never confessed, and claims that unlike the United States and the West, he does not send “deadly help” any of the parties of the conflict. However, it is a close economic and political ally of Russia, and NATO Member States has described Beijing as the “decisive supporter” of the war.
“At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov … Foreign Minister Wang I will receive an official visit to Moscow from 31 March to 2 April,” said the spokesman of the Chinese Ministry of Diplomacy. Wang I will meet Russian officials and negotiate with Lavrov.
Topics of interviews
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that ministers will discuss international issues, including prospects to resolve the war in Ukraine.
“China is willing to take advantage of this visit as an opportunity to cooperate with Russia to support the implementation of an important consensus achieved by two heads of states,” said a spokesman for the Chinese ministry. The theme of the interviews will also be the development of Chinese-Russian relations, international and regional issues.
Last month, Beijing visited Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Šojga, just a few days after the Chinese President Si Jin-Pching in a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin emphasized “Moscow’s positive efforts to alleviate the Ukrainian crisis”. China said she welcomes all steps to the ceasefire in this conflict.
Challenges to peace
Beijing, however, is, according to AFP, constantly exposed to challenges to push Moscow to start peace negotiations and end the war in Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Thursday during his visit to Beijing that China “must play a role in persuading Russia to sit behind the negotiating table with serious and honest designs”.
The Chinese President, who will arrive in Moscow in May at the time of the celebrations of the end of World War II, is also going to visit Russia. Putin then visits Beijing at the turn of August and September.
