China and Russia strengthen ties against the West

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Xi Jinping expressed his readiness to work closely with Russia to strengthen their mutual contacts and coordination on the international stage.

"During his meeting with Lavrov, the Chinese president also called for Beijing and Moscow to 'unite the countries of the 'global South,' which mainly encompasses South American and African nations, and to 'promote a reform of the global governance system,'" reported AFP.

Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties between both countries. The media has portrayed the meeting as a show of unity in a bloc that is aligning against Western countries.

"Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday in a sign of mutual support and shared opposition to Western democracies amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine," NBC reported.

Meanwhile, Lavrov said, "We are sincerely pleased with these successes, since these are the successes of friends, although not everyone in the world shares this attitude and are trying in every possible way to restrain the development of China — in fact just like the development of Russia."

In recent years, China and Russia have intensified economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with a strategic alliance that has grown since the invasion of Ukraine.