Sawt Falasteen - China's top diplomat Wang Yi to visit Russia for Ukraine talks

Beijing and Moscow have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts in recent years and their strategic partnership has only grown closer since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

China presents itself as a neutral party in that war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.

But it is a close political and economic ally of Russia and NATO members have branded Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the war -- which it has never condemned.

"At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov... Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia from March 31 to April 2," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

The visit will see him meet with Russian leaders and hold talks with Lavrov, Beijing said.

"China is willing to take this visit as an opportunity to work with Russia to promote the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a briefing.

He will also hold "in-depth communication on the development of China-Russia relations in the next stage and international and regional issues of common concern to both sides", he said.

Moscow's foreign ministry said the visit will see them discuss "bilateral relations, high-level contacts -- including the highest level -- as well as the most pressing issues on the international agenda, including prospects for resolving the crisis around Ukraine".

Last month Beijing hosted top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu, just days after President Xi Jinping spoke with his counterpart Vladimir Putin and hailed Moscow's "positive efforts to defuse" the Ukraine crisis.

China has said it welcomes all steps towards a ceasefire in the conflict.

But Beijing has faced consistent calls to do more to press Moscow to enter into negotiations and end its war in Ukraine.

In the Chinese capital on Thursday, France's top diplomat told Wang Yi that China "has a role to play in convincing Russia to come to the negotiating table with serious and good-faith proposals".

Moscow has said the leaders of Russia and China will visit each other to mark events commemorating the end of World War II.

Xi's visit will coincide with events marking victory in what Russia calls the "Great Patriotic War" on May 9.

Putin, in turn, will visit China at the end of August and beginning of September, Moscow said.

P.AbuBaker--SF-PST