High-Level Meeting in Beijing: Chinese President Receives Russian Foreign Minister

Chinese President Xi Jinping received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing this morning, Tuesday, July 15, according to the Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the meetings of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes 10 countries such as China, Russia, Iran, India, and Pakistan.

Lavrov had held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday, discussing the latest developments in the Ukrainian issue, as reported by Agence France-Presse. The bilateral meeting between President Xi and Lavrov also touched on preparations for an upcoming visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China to participate in the organization's summit, according to Russian sources.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, China _the world's second-largest economy_ has strengthened its economic and trade relations with Russia, despite Western sanctions imposed on Moscow. In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China of supplying weapons to Russia, a claim Beijing denied and described as "baseless accusations."

In a related context, Ukrainian intelligence reports revealed Russian-Chinese cooperation in the aviation sector, including the supply of equipment and spare parts and documentation operations during the current and upcoming years.

On another note, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced during his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Beijing that the relations between the two countries "have witnessed a positive transformation," confirming that they have "overcome setbacks and achieved tangible benefits."