Wang in Moscow: Russia and China are pulling in the same geopolitical direction

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began a four-day trip to Russia on Monday to take part in the 18th round of strategic security consultations between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. The two countries are moving closer amid growing tensions with the West as a result of the Ukraine war and US militarization of the Pacific. Wang Yi, at the start of his talks with Sergei Lavrov, reaffirmed the “strategic cooperation” between the two countries and their shared commitment to a “multipolar world” and a “fairer world order.”

“China and Russia, as leading world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, have a special responsibility for maintaining global strategic stability and global development.”said Wang.

Wang’s trip to Moscow came a few days after his talks in Malta with Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser. Relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United States have deteriorated in recent years due to a variety of contradictions ranging from trade to the Taiwan issue.

After meeting with the US national security advisor: China’s foreign minister travels to Moscow

The meeting in Malta attracted greater attention in Western media and led to various interpretations. However, the reporting on this meeting as well as on Moscow’s current visit appears to be somewhat distorted. Some Western media have used the probably coincidental timing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent visit to Russia with Wang’s current trip to Russia for the strategic security consultations as an opportunity to propagate a “China-Russia-North Korea axis”. This is a typical narrative of a “new Cold War,” says the Chinese newspaper Global Times.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasized “the importance of Russian-Chinese cooperation for ensuring justice in world affairs, for ensuring a balance of interests in the processes developing in different directions.” At the same time, Wang emphasized that cooperation between Russia and China “is not directed against anyone and is not influenced by any other country.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry said at the meeting that the two ministers will also discuss issues of stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region, a report from TASS. Both sides would also address contacts at “high and highest levels,” reported TASS further. According to earlier reports in July from the Russian agency, Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit the People’s Republic of China in October, coinciding with a forum on China’s New Silk Road.

Wang’s visit comes in conjunction with this year’s high-level session of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, discussions during Wang’s visit to Moscow will pay particular attention to strengthening cooperation on the international stage and coordinating joint activities within the UN, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), G20, the APEC and other platforms.

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