INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Moscow and Beijing are closely aligned in their positions on the United States and resolving the Ukraine conflict, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said following talks between their top diplomats on Monday.The statement came after China's Wang Yi kicked off a four-day visit to
Moscow with a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the latest in a series of high-level contacts between the two strategic
allies."The similarity of the parties' positions regarding U.S
actions in the international arena, including those of an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese nature, was stated," Russia's Foreign Ministry
said."The parties discussed in detail the current state of affairs in Ukraine, noting the futility of attempts to resolve the crisis without
taking into account Russia's interests and, all the more so, without Russia's participation," it added.Wang also told Lavrov about the
content of talks he held over the weekend with U.S
President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the statement said.Russia and China frequently tout their "no limits"
partnership and economic and military cooperation.China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, while
offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens.According to a Chinese state media readout,
Wang reiterated Beijing's position paper on the Ukraine conflict, which called for peace talks but was met with skepticism by the United
States and NATO when it was released earlier this year.Wang told Lavrov the plan "takes into account the security concerns of all parties
and is conducive to eliminating the root causes of the conflict," according to China's Xinhua."A permanent good-neighborly friendship,
comprehensive strategic cooperation, and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia will continue to contribute to the
development and revitalization of each country," he added.During his visit, Wang is due to hold security consultations at the invitation of
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council.President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow in March and declared that
relations between the two countries were entering a new era.An aide to Vladimir Putin said in July that the Russian president was planning
to visit China in October.At the annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last week, Putin told Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing that
ties between Russia and China "have reached an absolutely unprecedented, historical level."
