China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on April 9 that Beijing would strengthen strategic cooperation with Moscow and that the two must stand on the side of "fairness and justice" as he met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov arrived in China for a two-day official visit on April 8, with the two countries looking to strengthen diplomatic ties as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on. Russia and China have in recent years ramped up contacts, and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine.
China To 'Strengthen Strategic Cooperation' With Russia As Lavrov Visits
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) shakes hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Beijing on April 9.