China and Russia must firmly defend their legitimate interests: China President

Beijing, China: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, urged closer and stronger strategic coordination between China and Russia to firmly defend their legitimate interests and safeguard the unity of Global South countries.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing.

Noting the stability and certainty of China-Russia relations are particularly valuable in a changing and turbulent international situation, Xi called on the two countries to shoulder their responsibilities as major countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

The Chinese president emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between Russia and China within the frameworks of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to advance the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction.

For his part, the Russian Foreign Minister affirmed that relations between his country and China are solid, represent a stabilizing factor in international affairs, and are gaining increasing importance for most countries around the world.

The Russian Foreign Minister arrived Tuesday in China on an official visit to discuss a number of issues, including the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East.