Chinese, Russian FMs pledge to advance ties

International moral responsibilities of major powers 'indispensable', says Wang

Senior diplomats from China and Russia have reaffirmed the "unshakable foundation" in their bilateral friendship and the high level of mutual trust despite an evolving international landscape, and pledged joint efforts to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the shared commitment from both nations in implementing the key consensuses reached by the two heads of state and carrying forward bilateral ties this year.

"No matter how the situation evolves, the foundation of China-Russia friendship remains unshakable, and the international moral responsibilities of major powers are indispensable," Wang said when meeting with Lavrov on Thursday on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Wang called on the two countries to actively promote the correct view of World War II history, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and maintain the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South countries.

Lavrov, describing China and Russia as "stabilizing forces in a complex and turbulent world", reaffirmed Russia's commitment to strengthening coordination with China within multilateral frameworks, such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the UN and the G20.

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have maintained close exchanges through various means in the past decade, providing strong leadership for the stable and high-level development of bilateral ties.

A report on deepening China-Russia relations in the new era, released by the China Institute of International Studies on Friday, noted that leaders of the two countries have established a solid friendship and mutual trust, mapped out bilateral relations from a strategic perspective, and continuously given new impetus to the relationship.

"The multidimensional ties between our two countries are expanding in all directions," Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said at a seminar in Beijing on Friday.

Morgulov said that Russia has ranked among China's top five trading partners for three consecutive years. The two nations have developed a portfolio of more than 80 large-scale investment projects.

The sustained growth in people-to-people exchanges, particularly as the years 2024 and 2025 have been designated as the China-Russia Years of Culture, has infused strong social impetus into the bilateral partnership, Morgulov said.

Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that as major powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia share a relationship with its impact extending beyond the bilateral scope.

"Beijing and Moscow have found the right way to get along with each other and moved beyond the traditional zero-sum game, transforming competition into mutual support. This sets an example for relations between major powers and between neighboring countries alike," Sun said.