The war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia overshadow an international meeting on Afghanistan in the Chinese city of Tunxi. Russia and China are getting closer
In view of the tensions surrounding the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the internationally dominant political front against Moscow, Russia and China are looming. For the first time since the invasion began on February 24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with his counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday in Tunxi, southeastern China’s Anhui Province, who welcomed him as an “old friend”. – Chinese relations and agreed to further expand cooperation.
Sergei Lavrov (72) informed Wang Yi (68) about the “special military operation” in Ukraine, as Russia officially calls the war. of peace. Giving political support to Russia, Wang called the Ukraine issue a result not only of an old security conflict, but also of the “cold war mentality and confrontation”. as soon as possible and avoid a major humanitarian crisis, Wang said, according to his ministry.
“Our cooperation has no borders”
“Russia-China cooperation knows no borders,” Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. “We work for peace without borders, we defend security without borders, we reject hegemony”. With this last reference to the domain, China is always targeting the United States.
In the Ukraine conflict, China still refuses to condemn the invasion. Incidentally, India is also still maneuvering between the fronts here. Instead, Beijing portrays the US and NATO as the main culprits in the crisis. Rumors that Beijing could also provide military support to Russia have been clearly denied so far.
The reason for the meeting was two-day talks in China on Afghanistan, which were also attended by representatives of the US, neighboring countries of Afghanistan and the Taliban government that has been in power in Kabul since August. Lavrov wants to travel from China to India, where he is expected on Thursday.
“We want a democratic world order”
In a joint statement, Lavrov and Wang agreed to expand their “strategic partnership in a difficult international situation”, according to the Moscow Foreign Ministry. world order,” Lavrov told Wang, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
“We have the best relations with China in history,” Lavrov emphasized in an interview before the visit – although it is not clear whether he always meant the People’s Republic, which has existed since 1949, or China, which Russia is not isolated internationally, despite the sanctions imposed by the West. As well as other important Russian partners such as Turkey and India, but also Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam and many other states do not comply with economic sanctions.
Nothing was revealed in the talks about possible Russian requests for support from China. Two weeks ago, US President Joe Biden personally warned Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping in a video link against Russia’s material support in the war against Ukraine and threatened the consequences.