Wang Yi Meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
2022-08-06 23:55

On August 5, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the latter's request on the sidelines of the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation in Phnom Penh. The two sides agreed to maintain strategic coordination and deepen practical cooperation.

Wang Yi fully elaborated on China's legitimate position on the Taiwan question, and appreciated Russia's immediate reiteration of its firm commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to any act that infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which testifies to the high-level strategic coordination between the two countries. China is ready to work with Russia to more vigorously safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law so as to achieve enduring security and sustained development in a more effective way.

Wang Yi said that given the current situation, China and Russia need to work jointly to promote regional development. The two sides need to step up mutually beneficial cooperation with regional countries in pandemic response, health care, connectivity, digital economy, green and low-carbon development and other fields, build stable and reliable regional industrial and supply chains, and support the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific in upholding independence, the ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN way. It is important to guide regional countries to pursue a vision of true security that is common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable, rather than the false security of seeking supremacy and confrontation, and to uphold a genuine order underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and oppose a fake order based on hegemony and bullying. The two sides also need to strengthen engagement and cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union on the construction of the Belt and Road and forge bigger synergy between BRI and the Greater Eurasian Partnership to jointly promote unity, development and prosperity of the Eurasian continent, pool the efforts to uphold the norms governing international relations, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and steer the world development in the right direction.

Lavrov said that the United States has a habit of bullying around. Its hegemonic policies run counter to the consensus of the international community and are doomed to have no future. Russia is ready to work with China to uphold international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

The two sides also exchanged views on BRICS cooperation, the Iranian nuclear issue, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.