Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Kyrgyzstan, July 24, 2026. /Xinhua

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States in Kyrgyzstan.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the meeting between the two heads of state in May in Beijing has ushered bilateral relations into a new stage of greater achievements and faster development.

China wishes Russia success in its State Duma elections to be held in September and firmly supports the choice independently made by the Russian people, Wang said.

Noting that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and the 25th anniversary of the SCO, Wang said the treaty has guided the two countries in setting an example of a new type of state-to-state and major-country relations.

The SCO has become a force for global stability with growing international influence, Wang said, adding that both sides should jointly support the organization's development, carry forward the Shanghai Spirit and inject new vitality into improving global governance and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

China and Russia should strengthen strategic coordination, uphold the outcomes of World War II and never allow Japan to rearm, Wang said, adding that he expected Russia to continue supporting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) "China Year" events, and called for closer coordination and mutual support in multilateral frameworks including the United Nations.

Lavrov said head-of-state diplomacy serves as an important driving force for Russia-China relations.

President Putin's successful visit to China this year and the more than 50 meetings between the two heads of state have continuously elevated bilateral relations to new heights, he said.

He congratulated China on successfully hosting the World Artificial Intelligence (AI) Conference, noting that Russia has joined the World AI Cooperation Organization and looks forward to deepening bilateral cooperation in innovation and science and technology through this platform.

Russia remains highly vigilant against and firmly opposes Japan's accelerated remilitarization and pursuit of nuclear weapons capability, he said.

The two sides can further strengthen strategic coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, APEC, the Group of Twenty, BRICS and East Asia Cooperation, and jointly promote a more democratic and equitable multipolar world, he added.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of common concern.