The foreign ministers of China and Russia met in Bali.
Once again it became apparent that they are pursuing a similar course in the Ukraine war.
Munich/Denpasar – On the fringes of the meeting of foreign ministers of the G20 group of states in Bali, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi rejected Western sanctions against Russia as “unlawful”.
This was announced by the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
During his meeting with Wang, Lavrov emphasized the "particular importance of the constructive strategic relations between China and Russia for the formation of a fairer and more democratic world order".
He also accused the West of an "undisguisedly aggressive line" and said Russia and China want to "further expand the scope and reach of practical cooperation."
According to Lavrov, the relations between the two countries "have enormous potential".
China initially did not comment on the content of the conversation between Wang and Lavrov.
However, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing announced that Wang had warned of a "new Cold War" in talks with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Wang also dismissed any attempt to compare the Ukraine conflict to the Taiwan issue."
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and is threatening to conquer the democratically governed island state militarily.
"Some countries emphasize the principle of sovereignty on the Ukraine issue, but continue to question China's sovereignty and the one-China principle on the Taiwan issue, and even deliberately foment tensions in the Taiwan Straits, an apparent double standard." , according to Wang.
China, Russia celebrate 'best ties in history on record' in Ukraine war
Wang Yi and Lavrov last met in person at the end of March.
At the time, Lavrov had traveled to the city of Tunxi in southeast China's Anhui Province to speak with Wang and representatives from other countries in the region about the situation in Afghanistan since the country was retaken by the Taliban.
Lavrov, who was greeted by Wang as an "old friend," had previously spoken of "the best relations with China in history";
In a joint declaration at the end of their talks, the foreign ministers of the two countries agreed to expand their "strategic partnership" in a "difficult international situation", as the Foreign Ministry in Moscow announced.
They also wanted to coordinate more closely on foreign policy and appear with a common position in international affairs.
In a video message at the beginning of June, Wang reaffirmed his country's friendship with Russia.
In addition, Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin spoke to each other in mid-June.
In the call, which took place on Xi's 69th birthday, Xi pledged his support to Russia, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"China stands ready to continue supporting the Russian side on issues related to core interests and major concerns such as sovereignty and security, and to intensify strategic cooperation between the two countries," Xi said.
Beijing is also "ready to work with the Russian side to promote bilateral practical cooperation."
It was the second meeting between the two heads of state since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Xi and Putin last met in person in Beijing in early February and issued a joint statement against NATO's eastward expansion.
It is not known whether Xi knew about the Russian attack plans at the time.
Officially, China claims to be neutral in the Ukraine war.
G20: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets his US counterpart Blinken on Friday
Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are expected to meet at the G20 meeting in Bali on Friday.
Taiwan, Xinjiang and the trade dispute between the two countries should be on the agenda.
Blinken had already ruled out a bilateral meeting with Lavrov.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is also traveling to Bali to take part in the consultations.
Chief diplomat Josep Borrell is taking part in the summit on the EU side;
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Borrell also spoke to Wang Yi on Tuesday.
Details were not initially known.
In mid-November, the heads of state and government of the G20 countries will meet on the island that belongs to Indonesia.
Russia's President Putin had already announced his participation.
However, it is unclear whether Putin will also travel to Bali in person.
Several states have already questioned their participation in this case.
At the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who was invited as a guest, "categorically" ruled out Putin's personal attendance, according to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
The world's largest island nation, Indonesia, holds the G20 presidency this year.
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