Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing, China, April 15, 2026. /Xinhua
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged closer and stronger strategic coordination between China and Russia to firmly defend their legitimate interests and safeguard the unity of Global South countries.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Beijing.
Xi asked Lavrov to convey sincere greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, Xi said the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has maintained high-level development, yielding fruitful cooperation results in various fields.
The stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly valuable in a changing and turbulent international situation, he said, urging both sides to strengthen strategic communication and maintain close diplomatic coordination to promote a higher-level and more stable comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
China and Russia should shoulder their responsibilities as major countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, maintain strategic focus, uphold mutual trust and mutual support, and pursue common development, he said.
Xi urged efforts to give full play to their complementary advantages, deepen all-round cooperation and enhance their respective development resilience.
It is imperative to enhance multilateral collaboration, firmly uphold and practice multilateralism, work together to revitalize the authority and vitality of the UN, maintain close coordination and cooperation within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and equitable direction, he added.
Lavrov conveyed President Putin’s cordial greetings and good wishes to President Xi.
Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, Russia-China ties have demonstrated high resilience despite the complex external environment, with sound momentum in trade and investment cooperation, and close coordination on multilateral platforms such as the UN, the SCO, BRICS and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, said Lavrov.
Russia stands ready to work with China to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen practical cooperation, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges, uphold international fairness and justice, promote greater development of Russia-China relations, and make greater contributions to world peace and stability, he added.
