Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday in brief comments reported by Reuters that the Kremlin’s relationship with China is stronger than ever.
Lavrov’s reported remarks come as Western countries have imposed robust sanctions on Russia in an effort to isolate the country for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
However, China has solidified its alliance with Moscow, vocally opposing the sanctions and saying that it will continue to operate its typical economic and trade relations with Russia.
Specifically, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said last week that Russia should be permitted to attend the next Group of 20 (G-20) summit despite waging a full-scale military invasion against Ukraine.
“No member has the right to remove another country as a member. The G-20 should implement real multilateralism, strengthen unity and cooperation,” Wang said.
China’s ambassador to the U.S., Qin Gang, has also refused to say that China would not sell military supplies and weapons to Russia.
Instead, Qin insisted that Beijing would maintain “normal” relations with Russia.
“What China is doing is send[ing] foods, medicine, sleeping bags and baby formulas, not weapons and ammunition … to any party. And we [are] against a war, as I said. You know, we will do everything to de-escalate the crisis,” Qin said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Meanwhile, President Biden has said he hopes China, with a focus on its own future economic success, will not help China amid the conflict.
“I think that China understands that its economic future is much more closely tied to the West than it is to Russia. I’m hopeful that he does not get engaged,” Biden said last week, warning Chinese President Xi Jinping that Beijing would face consequences should it provide “material support” to Russia.