Lavrov hails China as part of emerging ‘just world order’

Beijing and Moscow advanced a vision of a new world order on Wednesday as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his first visit to key ally China since the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow’s top diplomat landed in the eastern city of Huangshan early on Wednesday for a series of meetings about the future of Afghanistan.

But Russia’s assault on Ukraine is likely to loom large over proceedings. Beijing has refused to condemn the invasion and has provided a level of diplomatic cover for an increasingly isolated Russia.

US officials have accused China of signalling "willingness" to provide military and economic aid to Russia, while President Joe Biden has compared the invasion of Ukraine to China’s crushing of protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. But on Wednesday, Lavrov painted a picture of a new world order, saying the world was "living through a very serious stage in the history of international relations".

"We, together with you, and with our sympathisers will move towards a multipolar, just, democratic world order," Lavrov said in a video released by the Russian foreign ministry ahead of a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The two ministers were shown on Chinese state TV in face masks bumping elbows in front of their national flags. A readout from the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang Yi saying that "China-Russia relations have withstood the new test of the changing international situation, maintained the correct direction of progress and shown tenacious development momentum."

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters earlier that Moscow and Beijing will continue efforts in "advancing global multipolarity and the democratisation of international relations". Wang added that "China-Russia cooperation has no limits", repeating a line used by President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to characterise ties. "Our striving for peace has no limits, our upholding of security has no limits, our opposition towards hegemony has no limits," Wang said.