BEIJING: China and Russia said Tuesday they would strengthen strategic cooperation as Moscow’s top diplomat met President Xi Jinping in Beijing, further deepening ties as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

The two countries have in recent years ramped up contacts, and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

On the tail-end of a two-day visit to China on Tuesday afternoon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks with Xi. “We would like to express our highest appreciation and admiration for the successes you have achieved over the years and, above all, over the past decade under your leadership,” Lavrov told Xi, according to Russian news agencies.

For his part, Xi told Lavrov that China attached “great importance” to relations with Moscow and “stands ready, with Russia, to strengthen bilateral communication, (and) strengthen multilateral strategic coordination”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Xi and President Vladimir Putin have agreed to maintain “close exchanges” to ensure the steady development of their ties, the readout said.

“China supports the Russian people to follow a development path that suits their national conditions, and supports Russia in combating terrorism and maintaining social security and stability,” it added. Earlier Lavrov met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, where he thanked China for its “support” after Putin’s recent re-election, in which he was unchallenged by any meaningful opposition. The Russian minister noted that Xi was among the first to send congratulations. “Beijing and Moscow will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation on the world stage and provide each other with strong support,” Wang said, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.