A day after Russia's private mercenary group Wagner's mutiny was stopped by sending its chief into exile, Russia's deputy foreign minister reached China on Sunday for talks.
A statement on Chinese foreign ministry's website said the leaders discussed issues of common concern. “Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to discuss Sino-Russian relations and international and regional issues that are of common concern” SCMP reported.
Russian authorities said China reaffirmed its interest in strengthening relations with Moscow. “China expressed support for the Russian leadership to stabilise the domestic situation after the events on Saturday and reaffirmed interest in strengthening cooperation with Russia,” SCMP reported Russian foreign ministry.
According to reports, China is monitoring the situation in Russia and is reportedly watching closely for any spillover.
Russia and China, while not formal allies, have maintained close ties throughout Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.
Rudenko's visit comes after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march on Moscow in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power. Prigozhin later on Saturday reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.
China has not officially commented on the crisis in Russia. The United States and other Western powers have urged China not to supply Russia with arms that could be used in the Ukraine conflict.
China in May sent an envoy to Ukraine and Russia in an attempt to mediate talks to end the war.
(With PTI inputs.)
