China vows support for Russia

BEIJING (AFP) — China’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that Beijing will support Moscow’s stable development under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.

“Beijing and Moscow will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation on the world stage and provide each other with strong support,” Wang Yi said during his meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

“The support of the people is the source of progress in Russia,” the Chinese foreign minister added, according to the Russian state-owned newspaper Izvestia.

“I think that under the strong leadership of President Putin, the Russian people will have a bright future,” he said.

Lavrov, in turn, thanked China.

“(Chinese President) Xi Jinping... was among the first ones to send congratulations to the president-elect Putin, and we are overall grateful to our Chinese friends for this support,” Lavrov said, according to a video of the meeting shared by Izvestia on Telegram.

In Brussels last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that “China continues to provide materials to support Russia’s defence industrial base.”

And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who wrapped up a visit to China on Monday, said she had warned officials of the consequences of supporting Russia’s military procurement.