In China, visiting Russian diplomat pushes for ‘peace and security’ amid Ukraine incursion

Trip by Russia’s deputy foreign minister comes as Beijing shows more interest in intervening in war and increasing engagement with Kyiv

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The Ukrainian military’s incursion into Russian territory has marked a new phase of the war, with Kyiv on the offensive. Photo: EPA-EFE

Zhao Ziwen

Published: 8:00pm, 18 Aug 2024Updated: 8:46pm, 20 Aug 2024

Corrected [8:45pm, 20 Aug, 2024]

[8:45pm, 20 Aug, 2024]
The article has been ammended to clarify that Russia did not attend a peace conference held in Switzerland in June.

A senior Russian diplomat vowed to promote “global peace and security” during a visit to China as Ukraine continues its incursion into Russia and Beijing pushes for more engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv.

Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov met his Chinese counterpart Ma Zhaoxu in Beijing on Friday, a month after the leaders of the two countries met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kazakhstan.

“The two sides said that they will take the important consensus of the two heads of state as a fundamental guideline, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, and contribute to strengthening global strategic stability and promoting world peace and security,” China’s foreign ministry said.

The two diplomats also mentioned Brics – a bloc of emerging economies that includes China – whose next summit will be held in Kazan, Russia in October.

“The two sides emphasised that Brics is an important platform for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries and that China and Russia will continue to closely communicate and collaborate to jointly promote the success of the Brics leaders’ meeting in Kazan,” the ministry added.

President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana, Kazakhstan on July 3. Photo: AP

Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng will visit Moscow from Monday to Tuesday for a regular meeting and hold talks with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Chernyshenko, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.