Lavrov, top Chinese diplomat to hold talks in Beijing

BEIJING, April 14. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will make an official visit to China on April 14-15 to hold talks with the country’s top diplomat Wang Yi. The two foreign ministers maintain regular contact. They held a telephone call on April 5, discussing the situation in the Persian Gulf and international efforts to end confrontation in the region. They also talked over the phone on March 1, expressing readiness to work together to contribute to stabilizing the situation in the Middle East. Lavrov and Wang last held in-person talks in Moscow on December 2, 2025. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the top Russian and Chinese diplomats would discuss a wide range of issues related to bilateral cooperation, as well as to the prospects for communication at various levels and interaction on the international stage. Russia and China describe the current relations between the two countries as "relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, entering a new era." "Our diplomacy mindfully promotes honest, equal and mutually beneficial partnership with all those who are ready to cooperate with us on the same principles. Our relations of partnership and friendship with China, our great eastern neighbor, are an example of such cooperation," Lavrov said in an address to the Russian State Duma (parliament's lower chamber) in February. Earlier, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had invited Russian leader Vladimir Putin to make an official visit to China in the first half of 2026, and the Russian president had accepted the invitation. Lavrov pointed out that Russia would prepare for the visit in an active and productive manner. That said, the two ministers are expected to discuss preparations for the visit. On December 1, 2025, Putin signed a decree granting Chinese nationals travelling to Russia for tourism or business purposes for up to 30 days the ability to enter the country without visas. Earlier, China made a similar decision that took effect on September 15, 2025. Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui told TASS earlier that visa-free travel was best extended indefinitely. This issue may also be touched upon at the upcoming talks. The crisis in the Middle East remains a focus of global politics. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the issue would be discussed at the Russia-China talks. Moscow and Beijing closely coordinate their approaches on international platforms such as the United Nations. In particular, the two countries voted against a UN Security Council resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, drafted by Bahrain. The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers in their recent phone call welcomed the convergence of the two countries’ approaches on most issues on the global agenda, including the situation around Iran. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the talks were also going to address joint work within the UN, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and other multilateral mechanisms and forums. In addition, the parties are also expected to exchange views on a number of pressing issues and regional problems, including the Ukraine crisis, the ministry said.