Russian FM to Visit China

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other national figureheads today at the ‘Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers’ in Beijing. Today’s conference is officially aimed at facilitating multinational dialogue between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries. Alongside Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, Russia and China are set to discuss the current humanitarian and socioeconomic instability in Afghanistan.

Although the discourse from today’s meetings are nominally aimed towards Afghanistan’s plight, the invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s Eurasian presence is sure to be a critical topic between diplomats. As Beijing maintains a negative opinion regarding worldwide sanctions against the Russian economy, current Russian-Chinese trade and relations look stronger than ever. Last year, trade between the two soared close to $146B – a growth of 36%.

Expect Russia and China to further develop diplomatic relations in the short-term based on parallel economic and political values. Anticipate both nations to carry on relationship-building ministerial meetings in the immediate future as tensions between the US and Russia continue to stir discontent. In the medium-term, China’s political neutrality on the invasion of Ukraine will strengthen strategic self-sufficiency and leverage further trade growth between Beijing and Moscow.