Last Update: February 22, 2023, 17:52 IST
Beijing has sought to position itself as a neutral party while maintaining close ties with its ally Russia. (File Image: Reuters)
But Washington and NATO have said they are concerned that China is preparing to send arms and ammunition to Russia to help it advance its campaign in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with China’s top diplomat on Wednesday that cooperation between Beijing and Moscow was vital to “stabilizing the international situation”.
“The cooperation between China and Russia on the world stage is of great importance for stabilizing the international situation,” Putin said in the meeting with Wang Yi.
Their meeting comes as China tries to pose as a mediator and is expected to reveal its “political solution” to the Ukraine conflict this week.
Beijing has sought to position itself as a neutral party while maintaining close ties with its ally Russia.
But Washington and NATO have said they are concerned that China is preparing to send arms and ammunition to Russia to help it advance its campaign in Ukraine.
“With the Russian side, we are ready to strengthen our strategic partnership and our in-depth cooperation,” Wang Yi told Putin, according to a Russian translation of his statement.
China’s top diplomat stressed that the partnership between the two countries “is not directed against any third country and does not come under pressure.”
Earlier he met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
“Despite high unrest on the world stage, we are demonstrating our solidarity and readiness to defend each other’s interests based on respect for international law and the central role of the United Nations,” Lavrov said.
Wang Yi is on the last leg of his European tour, during which he met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
read all Breaking News Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)