“The current international situation is profoundly changing and the world is at a critical moment,” Qin said. “As the two major forces in maintaining peace and promoting cooperation, China and Germany have to play a constructive role together.”
Qin also met Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno, when he urged “all parties” to remain calm and find a solution that addresses “all countries’ security concerns” and is good for Europe’s “lasting peace”.
He reiterated Beijing’s support for the European Union’s “strategic autonomy” – a phrase Beijing uses to hit out at Washington’s close strategic ties with Europe – during that meeting, and in talks with his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra.
It comes as relations between China and the US are deteriorating and Beijing is seeking to ease tensions with Europe, where there is growing wariness over its close ties with Moscow.
In a move that could draw further scrutiny from the West, China and Russia refused to endorse a statement at the G20 summit condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. India, the summit host, later confirmed that China and Russia did not agree to language in the statement that the G20 leaders had negotiated in Indonesia less than four months ago.
Beijing said G20 meetings should not be occasions for security issues. “G20 members have different views on the Ukraine crisis and we hope that G20 members will respect each other, be concerned about each other and send signals of solidarity and cooperation rather than division and mutual recrimination,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: AFP/Russian foreign ministry
Qin also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New Delhi, with the two sides reaffirming their commitment to continue close communication and diplomatic coordination, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry.
“China supports a political settlement to the [Ukraine] crisis and opposes fuelling the fire, undermining the peace talks, double standards and sanctions and pressure,” Qin told Lavrov, adding that Beijing would continue to “play a constructive role” to promote peace talks.
A statement from Russia’s foreign ministry said Qin and Lavrov had discussed the current situation in Ukraine and Beijing’s position on its “political settlement”, as well as other international issues.
“We have confirmed a high degree of proximity and convergence of positions on all of the issues discussed,” the Russian statement said. “The parties expressed unanimous rejection of attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, to impose unilateral approaches through blackmail and threats, and to oppose the democratisation of international relations.”
