Russian Foreign Minister Visits, China Issues Warning to Countries "Not to Smear" Moscow-Beijing Relations

On April 8, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Beijing, beginning a two-day official visit to China to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, bilateral relations and the situation in the Asia- Pacific region.

Ngoại trưởng Nga đến thăm, Trung Quốc phát cảnh báo các nước 'đừng nên bôi nhọ' quan hệ Moscow-Bắc kinh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (center) arrives at Beijing airport on April 8, beginning an official visit to China . (Source: AP)

In Beijing, Foreign Minister Lavrov will meet his host counterpart Wang Yi and discuss a series of "hot topics", including joint cooperation in international organizations, such as the United Nations and the Group of 20 (G20), TASS reported.

According to an announcement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said that bilateral relations are "at their best in history" when he met his Russian counterpart in Moscow last month.

In March, Reuters reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in May to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which will be the Kremlin leader's first foreign trip in his new presidential term.

On the same day, Sputnik reported that at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning warned relevant countries "not to smear or attack the normal state relations" between Moscow and Beijing.

The above statement was made by Ms. Mao in response to the warning of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about the consequences for Chinese companies when helping Russia.

Earlier, at a press conference in Beijing while visiting China, Ms. Yellen warned companies, including those in the host country, that they should not provide material support to the Russian Federation in the Ukraine crisis, otherwise they will face serious consequences.

Emphasizing that China has always controlled the export of dual-use goods in accordance with laws and regulations, Mao Ning said that normal cooperation between China and Russia in various fields should not be interrupted or restricted.

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