Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the war in Ukraine with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Beijing today, amid controversy over military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang , reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
The meeting came as the West condemned the alleged deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to Russia as a dangerous escalation of the conflict. China is a close partner of Russia and North Korea.
The development of Sino-Russian relations “follows an inevitable historical logic”, Wang Yi said today to Andrey Rudenko, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
„They are not influenced by changes in the international situation, are not directed against a third country and are not influenced by a third country”, the Chinese foreign minister stressed, noting that the two diplomats had “exchanged views on the crisis in Ukraine” ;.
The statement did not say whether they discussed the issue of North Korean soldiers.
Tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine have intensified in recent weeks. The US and South Korea claim that North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia.
According to the US Department of Defense, there are about 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia. Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny such a deployment, AFP points out.
Against this background, Russian diplomats announced today that North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hye will arrive in Moscow for a “strategic” talks with his colleague Sergey Lavrov.
The United States said on Monday it was in contact with Chinese authorities about the alleged deployment of North Korean troops to Russia.
„We have spoken to China about this to tell them that we are concerned and that they should be concerned about the destabilizing actions of two of their neighbors – Russia and North Korea”, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
When asked about these discussions between Beijing and Washington during his regular briefing today, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment.
Regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, China regularly calls for peaceful negotiations and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.
However, Beijing has never condemned Russia for its invasion, which began in February 2022. Economic, diplomatic and military relations between Beijing and Moscow have even strengthened since then.