China\u2019s top diplomat said on Tuesday that Beijing would strengthen strategic cooperation with Moscow and that the two must stand on the side of \u201cfairness and justice\u201d as he met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov arrived in China for a two-day official visit on Monday, with the two countries looking to deepen diplomatic ties as Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine grinds on. Russia and China have in recent years ramped up contacts, and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov held discussions with President Xi Jinping on Tuesday afternoon, Chinese state media announced, in a previously undisclosed meeting. State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of chairs arranged around a glossy table in an opulent room in Beijing\u2019s Great Hall of the People ahead of the talks. In earlier meetings on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised: \u201cChina will support Russia\u2019s stable development under the leadership of (Vladimir) Putin. \u201cBeijing and Moscow will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation on the world stage and provide each other with strong support,\u201d Wang said, according to Russia\u2019s RIA Novosti news agency. \u201cUnder the strong leadership of President Putin, the Russian people will have a bright future,\u201d he said. Lavrov, in turn, thanked China for its \u201csupport\u201d after Putin\u2019s recent re-election, in which he was unchallenged by any meaningful opposition. \u201cXi Jinping [\u2026] was among the first ones to send congratulations to the president-elect Putin, and we are overall grateful to our Chinese friends for this support,\u201d Lavrov said, according to a video of the meeting shared by Izvestia on Telegram. \u201cThe election results confirmed the deep trust of the Russian people in our leader and the ongoing domestic and foreign policies,\u201d he added, according to RIA Novosti. \u201cThis applies not least to the course to strengthen strategic interaction and partnership with the PRC,\u201d the top diplomat said, referring to China by its official acronym. \u2018Clear-cut stand\u2019 Lavrov last visited Beijing in October for an international forum on Chinese President Xi\u2019s flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. Analysts say China holds the upper hand in the relationship with Russia, with its sway growing as Moscow\u2019s international isolation deepens following its invasion of Ukraine. That asymmetry is still \u201cchanging in China\u2019s favour\u201d as it enables Moscow \u201cto continue the war by providing very necessary materials for the Russian war machine\u201d, Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told AFP. \u201cIntegrating Russia\u2019s economy, brainpower, and military technology into\u2026 a Chinese-led order with Eurasia at its geographic heart, is the only way Russia can sustain its confrontation with the West,\u201d he wrote in Foreign Policy magazine this week. \u201cChina has stronger bargaining power and many more options than does Russia, and its leverage over its northern neighbour is growing all the time,\u201d he added. \u201cRussia is now locking itself into vassalage to China.\u201d \u2018Unlawful sanctions\u2019 US officials have recently warned Beijing against providing indirect aid to the Russian war effort and regularly urge China to wield its influence to help bring about peace in Ukraine. In Brussels last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that \u201cChina continues to provide materials to support Russia\u2019s defence industrial base\u201d. And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who wrapped up a visit to China on Monday, said she had warned officials of the consequences of supporting Russia\u2019s military procurement. But Lavrov on Tuesday drew a parallel between the West\u2019s \u201cunlawful sanctions\u201d and efforts to curb China\u2019s access to sensitive US-made technologies. At a press conference following bilateral talks, he accused the West of seeking to impede China\u2019s \u201ceconomic, technological development opportunities, to put it simply in order to eliminate the competitors\u201d. Wang, in turn, declared that Russia and China \u201calways stick to the correct path on great matters of principle\u201d. \u201cChina and Russia must take a clear-cut stand on the side of historical progress, on the side of fairness and justice,\u201d he said. \u201c(We must) oppose all acts of hegemony, tyranny and bullying; oppose Cold War thinking and separatist provocations; and actively push for the construction of a common future for all humankind,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a force for peace and stability, China will stick to playing a constructive role on the international stage [\u2026] and will never add oil to the flames,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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