China, Russia agree to strengthen cooperation within multilateral frameworks

Wang Yi (L), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, shakes hands with Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 21, 2023. Wang held talks with Patrushev as they respectively lead the mechanism of the Strategic Security Consultation between China and Russia. [Photo by Tian Bing/Xinhua]

MOSCOW, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia agreed on Tuesday to continue to step up cooperation within multilateral frameworks and make more efforts to improve global governance.

The consensus was reached during a meeting in Moscow between Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, held talks with Patrushev as they respectively lead the mechanism of the Strategic Security Consultation between China and Russia.

The two sides discussed the current international strategic situation and expressed their willingness to jointly practice true multilateralism, oppose all forms of unilateral bullying, and promote democracy in international relations and a multi-polar world.

Both parties believe that peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region should be firmly maintained and that the introduction of Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and ideological conflict should be opposed.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian issue among others.