China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, is travelling to Moscow after security talks following a meeting with the US president’s national security adviser, AP informs.
Foreign Minister Wang will be in Russia from Monday to Thursday to attend consultations on strategic security, according to a Foreign Ministry’s brief statement.
The US and China are at odds over the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict. China has taken a neutral stance, claiming the West needs to take into account Russia’s security concerns over NATO expansion. The Kremlin has accused the US of delaying hostilities by providing Ukraine with weapons.
Wang’s trip to Moscow comes a day after the North Korean leader left Russia. Kim Jong Un’s six-day visit included talks with President Vladimir Putin at a Far Eastern spaceport, visits to aircraft factories and inspections of strategic bombers carrying nuclear weapons.
Kim’s speech heightened Western concerns about an alliance that could influence the war in Ukraine.
China and Russia have also become closer amid deteriorating relations with the West. China seeks to change the US-led international order. Last month, Beijing helped engineer an expansion of the BRICS partnership, which invited six more countries to join the bloc. Previously, it consisted of five countries, including Russia and China.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning described Wang’s visit to Russia as a routine one to hold in-depth talks on core strategic security interests.
Wang discussed Ukraine during his meetings over the weekend with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Both sides discussed differences over security, trade, technology and human rights. However, details of their talks remain unveiled.
Wang Yi returned as foreign minister after his successor Qin Gang disappeared without a trace. Some sources suggest that Qin has fallen out of favor with the leadership.
Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu has also been out of the public eye for about three weeks, sparking controversy over his fate. The government has not commented on Li’s disappearance. Mao, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, replied she was not aware of the situation.
