As G7 leaders met in Japan, China’s president used the timing to court like-minded Central Asian countries.

Chinese special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui reiterates ‘objective and fair’ stance in talks with Russian diplomats, including foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

The vessel Xiang Yang Hong 10 began operating in the EE zone on May 7 – the most significant incursion since 2019 – but China claims its activity is ‘legitimate and lawful’.

VTB Bank’s Andrey Kostin warns that ‘it’s very dangerous to rely on America’, after Russia’s second-largest lender lost billions last year upon being cut off from the US dollar and euro.

Top Chinese official meets Russian spy chief and Security Council secretary on sidelines of multilateral summit.

Li Hui, who leads China’s peacemaking effort, is told in Brussels that the EU expects China to press Russia to ‘immediately and unconditionally’ withdraw from Ukraine.

China and India accounted for 2.6 million tonnes and 2.1 million tonnes, respectively, of exports of dirty oil products from Russian since the start of the year, while Singapore and Malaysia had almost 3.5 million tonnes in total.

Chinese president addressed Eurasian Economic Forum via video link as Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin visited Beijing for trade talks.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday, expects bilateral trade to reach US$200 billion in 2023, but analysts have warned room for growth in energy shipments could be limited.

Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia’s Security Council, will hold talks with the Chinese Communist Party’s Chen Wenqing, Russian state news agency reported.

Measures taken by State, Treasury and Commerce departments take aim at three companies from mainland China and five from Hong Kong.

Chinese president calls for expanded trade and energy ties with the region, offering development aid and investment.

Polish deputy foreign minister Wojciech Gerwel tells Li Hui of ‘grave consequences’ for EU-China relations if Beijing provides military support to Russia.

Mikhail Mishustin will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as Beijing attempts peace talks in the Ukraine war.

The bilateral agreement takes effect in June, giving China a shorter and cheaper route to transport goods from its northeastern region to its eastern economic powerhouse.

Five regional leaders were greeted with dancers and a banquet harking back to Xian’s imperial past as a centre of trade and culture.

Hundreds of entities in Asia, Europe and Middle East targeted as well as Moscow’s ‘future energy and extractive technical capabilities’.

President Xi Jinping is meeting the heads of five countries in a major diplomatic initiative that will run in parallel to the G7 gathering in Japan

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who once studied and served as diplomat in Beijing, meets Xi and turns 70 in ancient Silk Road city of Xian ahead of China-Central Asia summit.

China’s peace envoy Li Hui has left Ukraine with a promise to cooperate, but few details on a ceasefire plan.

While both China and the EU want the war to end, asking Russia to ‘suddenly withdraw all troops’ will be unrealistic, Renmin University professor says.

The French president said in an interview that Russia was becoming a de facto vassal of the Asian superpower, as it became isolated over the Ukraine war.

‘We expect that China will use its role and its responsibilities’ to resolve ‘existential threat for us’, says EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

China has long been keen to promote the yuan overseas, as well as reducing its reliance on the US dollar, with the likes of Russia, Brazil and Bangladesh increasing their use of the currency.

Li will also visit Poland, France and Germany in the search for a political solution to the conflict .