Russia’s top diplomat briefs Beijing on Ukraine in first China visit since invasion

Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi had a ‘thorough exchange of views’ and hit out at ‘counterproductive’ Western sanctions, Moscow says
Russian foreign minister will attend meetings on Afghanistan before heading to India on a trip that will coincide with those of senior US and British officials

Ukraine war

Amber Wangin Beijing

Published: 11:00pm, 30 Mar 2022

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Russia’s foreign minister had a “thorough exchange of views” on Ukraine with his Chinese counterpart during talks in eastern China on Wednesday, with the two sides hitting out at “counterproductive” Western sanctions, according to Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is on his first visit to China since the Ukraine invasion began last month. He will attend multinational meetings on Afghanistan before heading to India, a visit that will coincide with those of senior officials from Britain and the United States.

During their meeting in the ancient town of Tunxi, in Anhui province, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China-Russia relations had withstood the test of a changing international situation and there was solid momentum for development, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Wang said China supported Russia and Ukraine to continue peace talks and it supported efforts by Moscow and others to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis.

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China says ‘no limits’ in cooperation with Russia

It comes as the Beijing-Moscow alliance is under scrutiny, with China among a handful of nations to abstain from voting on UN resolutions condemning Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, and Beijing criticising sanctions against Russia.

Wang also said he was ready to work with Lavrov to push forward agreements reached by the nations’ leaders. Weeks before the Russian invasion, President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared that their nations’ partnership had “no limits” and signed a series of cooperation deals in Beijing.

A statement from Russia’s foreign ministry said Lavrov and Wang had discussed Ukraine and other issues including Afghanistan.

Amid Ukraine war, China says choosing sides won’t solve security issues

“The ministers had a thorough exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine. The head of the Russian foreign ministry informed his Chinese counterpart about the progress of the special military operation … and the dynamics of the negotiation process with the Kyiv regime,” the statement said.

“The sides noted the counterproductive nature of the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its satellites.”

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said cooperation between China and Russia had no upper limit when it came to striving for peace and opposing hegemony, but did not give further details of the talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend meetings on Afghanistan before travelling to India. Photo: AP

Lavrov is in China for a two-day meeting on the economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August.

Acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will attend, along with officials from Afghanistan’s neighbours – China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of Qatar and Indonesia will also take part.

The Russian foreign minister also met his counterparts from Indonesia and Pakistan and the deputy prime minister of Uzbekistan on Wednesday.

He will travel to India on Thursday to brief New Delhi on Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the peace talks, and is expected to discuss a Russian offer of discounted oil for India. New Delhi is another close ally of Moscow that has refused to condemn the invasion.

Lavrov’s trip to the Indian capital will coincide with that of US deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh, who has played a key role in the sanctions against Russia, as well as a visit by British foreign secretary Liz Truss, the Hindustan Times reported.

It follows Wang’s visit to New Delhi last week to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing China-India border stand-off.

Russia on Tuesday said it would “reduce” military combat operations in Ukraine, near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, “to boost mutual trust” in peace talks.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the US remain sceptical about the pledge, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby saying “only a small number” of Russian troops had been seen moving away from Kyiv.

According to Zhu Yongbiao, a Central Asia specialist from Lanzhou University, the talks between the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers indicated that the two countries were maintaining strategic coordination on international issues including Afghanistan.

The countries were moving closer because of their development needs and that was not likely to change, said Yang Jin, a Russia expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

He added that Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours should work together to address its humanitarian and security problems that he said were being largely ignored because of the Ukraine crisis.