China's Foreign Minister will visit Russia next week for talks on issues including efforts to end the war in Ukraine, both countries announced Friday."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 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.During the visit, Wang will 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 reporters.He added that Wang would engage in "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."Russia's Foreign Ministry said discussions would cover "bilateral relations, high-level contacts including at the highest level as well as the most pressing issues on the international agenda, including prospects for resolving the crisis around Ukraine."Last month, China hosted top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu, just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and praised Moscow's "positive efforts" toward defusing the war.China has repeatedly stated it welcomes all steps toward a ceasefire, though it faces mounting pressure to push Moscow into serious negotiations to end the war.In Beijing on Thursday, France's top diplomat urged Wang to use China's influence to persuade Russia to engage in talks with "serious and good-faith proposals."