China reasserts ‘firm support’ for Russia as Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls Moscow counterpart

China willing to deepen exchanges at all levels, Wang Yi tells Sergey Lavrov in first overseas phone call after party congress

Call in line with tradition for China to first call its most important strategic partner after the congress, analyst notes

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov meet ahead of a G20 event in Bali in July. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:22pm, 28 Oct 2022Updated: 7:54pm, 28 Oct 2022

China has reaffirmed its support for Russia, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi telling his Russian counterpart that Beijing would continue to support Moscow in the international arena as a major power.

Any attempt to block the advancement of China and Russia would never succeed, Wang told Sergey Lavrov during a phone call on Thursday, less than a week after the 20th Communist Party congress unveiled a new top Chinese leadership and gave a groundbreaking third term to President Xi Jinping.

It was Wang’s first call to a foreign counterpart since the twice-a-decade congress concluded on Saturday, an assurance of Beijing’s unchanged policy towards Moscow, a Chinese analyst said.

Wang was promoted to the now 24-strong Politburo, China’s top decision-making body, in a leadership reshuffle after the congress.

Wang, 69, is expected to replace Yang Jiechi as China’s foreign affairs chief, with the 72-year-old top diplomat set to retire.

A day before his call with Lavrov, Wang met Asean envoys in Beijing, in what was his first diplomatic activity after the weeklong event.

Briefing the Russian minister on the congress, Wang said Xi’s re-election as the party chief provided the most fundamental political guarantee for the realisation of China’s rejuvenation goal.

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