In a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Xi expresses a hope for strengthened cooperation between the countries.
Beijing and Moscow should work to "unite the countries in the global south”, says Xi to Lavrov according to the state news agency New China (Xinhua). Together, they should promote a more "just and reasonable" international order, it says.
Lavrov and Xi conversed after a meeting with the cooperation organization SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is also on site in Beijing for the SCO meeting, as is India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The promises of increased support and cooperation come shortly after Donald Trump's threats of extensive "secondary tariffs" against countries that trade with Russia – if President Vladimir Putin does not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days. China condemns the American outburst.
China strongly opposes all illegal, unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. There are no winners in a tariff war and coercion and pressure will not solve problems, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson Lin Jian.
China describes itself as "neutral" in relation to the war in Ukraine and has never condemned Russia's invasion of its neighboring country.
