Lavrov, Wang Yi Hold Strategic Talks Ahead of SCO Summit

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Russia, China vow deeper coordination on Ukraine, UN reforms, and regional flashpoints

By TRH Global Affairs Desk

NEW DELHI, July 14, 2025 — In a reaffirmation of their growing strategic alignment, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held high-level talks in Beijing, ahead of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council Meeting.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, reflected what both sides described as “positive momentum” in the comprehensive Russia-China partnership. The two ministers held extensive discussions on bilateral cooperation, regional flashpoints, and global strategic alignment — all under the shadow of an intensifying confrontation with the West.

According to a statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov and Wang focused on the implementation of outcomes from the May 2025 Moscow Summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Practical cooperation areas — particularly in humanitarian exchanges — were reviewed, and a unified stance on pressing global developments was reiterated.

The ministers also conducted a “thorough exchange of views” on SCO coordination, with particular emphasis on shaping the agenda for the upcoming SCO Heads of State Council and the high-level SCO Plus Summit.

Global Alignment and Ukraine Crisis

Lavrov and Wang reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between Moscow and Beijing on the global stage, specifically within the United Nations, UN Security Council, SCO, BRICS, G20, and APEC platforms. The joint approach includes opposition to Western sanctions, calls for multipolarity, and greater representation for emerging economies in global governance.

A key focus of the talks was the Ukraine conflict, where both Russia and China restated their shared position for resolving the crisis based on the UN Charter in its entirety, stressing the principles of sovereignty, mutual respect, and indivisibility of security. While Moscow continues its military operations in eastern Ukraine, Beijing has maintained its “neutral” stance, pushing for a political solution without condemning Russia, a position that has drawn criticism from the West but solidified its role as Moscow’s chief diplomatic and economic backer.

Russia-China Position on Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China has refused to label it an act of aggression, instead blaming NATO expansion and US policy for escalating tensions in Europe. President Xi Jinping has offered a 12-point peace plan, which Moscow has welcomed in principle, while Kyiv and Western capitals have dismissed it as inadequate.

Russia, on the other hand, sees China’s support as essential to counteract Western isolation, and bilateral trade between the two countries has surged to historic highs. Both nations continue to frame their partnership as a “no-limits” friendship, particularly in resisting what they term the “unilateral hegemony” of the United States.

Regional Issues and Mutual Support

Beyond Ukraine, Lavrov and Wang also discussed the Iran-Israel conflict, tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and evolving security dynamics in Asia and the Middle East. The ministers reiterated mutual support on each other’s core interests, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and “national unity in all their regional and ethnic diversity” — a phrase aimed at deflecting Western criticism over Xinjiang and Crimea.

The Russian statement emphasized that the dialogue was held in a “spirit of trust and constructive cooperation,” consistent with the trajectory of deepening strategic synergy between Moscow and Beijing as the global balance of power shifts.

The upcoming SCO summit is expected to further solidify this emerging Eurasian alignment as both nations look to build alternative multilateral frameworks beyond the traditional Western-dominated order.

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