Intense Diplomacy Underway in Sochi among Russia, China and the United States

May 14, 2019 (EIRNS)—Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Sochi, Russia yesterday, for a round of meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin, for the purpose of preparing the state visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping next month. But Wang also used the occasion to talk about the special role to be played by China, Russia and the United States. After his meeting with Lavrov, Wang stated: “We are ready to settle differences and strengthen cooperation with other countries including the United States on the basis of mutual respect, so as to strive for more peace, security and stability for the world.”

Lavrov emphasized that “Russia-China cooperation is one of the key factors in maintaining the international security and stability, establishing a multipolar world order.”

Wang was then received by President Putin, who was effusive about the Russia-China relationship:

“At the beginning of our conversation I would like to convey my best wishes to my friend [Xi Jinping] for his warm reception in Beijing during a major international conference devoted to the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative, mostly its economic aspect. I would like to emphasize once again that we consider this initiative very productive, interesting and significant. We believe that it fully fits in with the integration association that is being established in the post-Soviet space by Russia and its partners. I am referring to the EAEU,”

i.e., the Eurasian Economic Union.

Wang responded in kind, returning compliments to Putin “from your great friend, Mr. Xi Jinping,” and stating that with Xi’s state visit to Russia coming up,

“My great friend Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov and I compared notes on this. We will take the preparations seriously.” He then went on to state that he had a series of “hopes” for that visit, including to “reinforce mutual trust and mutual support and prove to the world that our relations are not vulnerable to obstruction or outside interference and that we will always maintain the rapid pace at which our bilateral relations are progressing.”