Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would "strengthen strategic cooperation" with Moscow, as he met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the capital for talks.

Lavrov also met President Xi Jinping on Tuesday as part of his two-day official visit to China.

Lavrov arrived in Beijing earlier, with the two countries looking to further solidify diplomatic ties as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on.

In meetings on Tuesday, Wang promised "China will support Russia's stable development under the leadership of [Vladimir] Putin," according to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency.

The pair also pledged that Beijing and Moscow would continue their cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including through multilateral mechanisms.

The promise came after last month's deadly attack in Moscow left more than 130 people dead, an atrocity which was blamed on the Islamic State terror group.

Wang said they discussed the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

"Foreign Minister Lavrov and I had an in-depth communication about several international and regional hotspot issues... including the Ukraine and Palestine-Israel conflicts.

"I would like to emphasise that as a responsible major power, China always decides its own positions independently based on the individual rights and wrongs of each situation.

"At the same time, as a force for peace and stability, China will stick to playing a constructive role on the international stage... and will never add oil to the flames," Wang said. (Agencies)
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Last updated: 2024-04-09 HKT 17:29