Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said President Vladimir Putin's planned trip to China will give powerful new impetus to ties between the two nations.
Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on May 31, Lavrov described expanding ties with China as Russia's top foreign policy priority.
Lavrov said the two nations share opposition to a unipolar world, a veiled reference to perceived U.S. global domination.
He added that Moscow and Beijing oppose "double standards" as well as attempts at "diktat and blackmail" in global affairs.
Amid strained relations with the West over the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin is eager to bolster ties with Beijing to soften the impact of Western sanctions.
Putin is set to visit China in June on a trip intended to further boost cooperation in the energy sphere and other areas.
