China and Russia vow 'eternal friendship' amid Ukraine crisis
China and Russia are "friends forever, never enemies," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow. Diplomatic and economic cooperation between Russia and China has intensified since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
China and Russia are "friends forever, never enemies," declared Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow, welcoming signs of normalization in relations between Russia and the United States.
"The principle of ‘friends forever, never enemies’ … serves as a solid legal basis for advancing strategic cooperation at a higher level," Wang told the Russian RIA Novosti agency.
Wang also stated that China is ready to play a "constructive role together with the international community" in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Diplomatic and economic cooperation between Russia and China has intensified in recent years, especially following Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022 and the imposition of sanctions on Moscow.
China wants to be a guarantor
China presents itself as a neutral party in this war and ensures it does not supply weapons to either side. However, NATO considers Beijing a "key facilitator" of this war, which Beijing has never condemned.
Wang, who is in Russia for a three-day visit, plans to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
