BEIJING: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in China for an official visit on Monday, his ministry said, as the two countries look to strengthen diplomatic ties as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on.

The foreign ministry announced Lavrov had touched down in Beijing in a post on X Monday morning.

He will spend two days in the Chinese capital and hold meetings with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, according to a previous readout from the ministry.

“An in-depth exchange of points of view is expected on a certain number of ‘burning subjects’,” the statement said, citing “the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region”.

The ministry added that the two men would “discuss a wide range of questions linked to bilateral cooperation, as well as cooperation on the international scene”.

Lavrov last visited Beijing in October for an international forum on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

Russia says G20 Ukraine discussion is ‘destructive’

China sees itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but it has become Russia’s leading trade partner in the last two years and favours a political settlement to end the fighting.

Western nations regularly urge Beijing to play a greater role in restoring peace in Ukraine by using its influence over the Kremlin.