Russia’s ‘traditional friendship’ with China remains strong, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov says

Lavrov tells his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Moscow was keen to maintain close cooperation with Beijing and emphasised their ‘mutual strategic trust’
China’s account of the meeting in Tashkent did not directly refer to the war in Ukraine, which has seen Russia hit by unprecedented sanctions

China-Russia relations

Liu Zhen

Published: 10:42pm, 29 Jul 2022

Why you can trust SCMP

The “traditional friendship” between Russia and China remains strong, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday.

The two met on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.

Lavrov quoted an old Chinese saying “it takes a long time to see someone’s true heart”, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry, and said Moscow wanted to maintain close contact and practical cooperation.

He added: “Russian-Chinese relations have withstood the test of international storms, fully demonstrating the traditional friendship and strategic mutual trust between the two countries.”

Moscow and Beijing have moved closer in recent years in the face of growing pressure from the United States and its allies.

This year Russia was hit by punitive sanctions from the West following its invasion of Ukraine – a move China opposes. Beijing’s stance, and refusal to condemn the attack, has further riled Washington.

The Chinese statement did not refer to any discussion about the war or sanctions. Instead the two sides emphasised the need to enhance multilateralism and build a fair and reasonable international order.

China-Europe rail shipping growth slows as companies steer clear of Russia

Wang said the two sides, as two major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council, must strengthen strategic communication in a timely manner.

The SCO is a Eurasian security and economic pact led by Russia and China whose members include several Central Asian states. In recent years its membership has expanded to include India and Pakistan, with Iran on course to join next year.

Wang and Lavrov commented positively on the development of the SCO, adding that it would explore ways to “optimise the operations of the SCO and advance the expansion process of the SCO in an orderly manner”, according to Beijing’s account.

Wang said China is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with member states, including Russia, to make the SCO a force to defend international justice, maintain regional and world peace and promote the global recovery following Covid-19.

01:04

Russian and Chinese bombers flew near Japan during Quad summit in Tokyo

The two ministers agreed to strengthen coordination among the organisation to “play a constructive role” in addressing the current global food and energy crisis.

They also agreed to work to help ensure peace and security in Afghanistan, which holds observer status at the SCO.

A video of their meeting was posted on Twitter which showed Wang removing his mask to greet Lavrov. The Chinese foreign minister has generally kept his face covered for diplomatic engagements after the emergence of Covid-19.

No Middle East vacuum for China, Russia, Iran to fill, says Biden

Speaking in English, Lavrov told him “don’t be afraid”, to which Wang replied “we trust each other”.

After the mask was removed, Lavrov said “you are among friends” to which Wang answered “yes”.