On May 25-26, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

During their meeting on May 26, the ministers will focus on bilateral cooperation in international affairs, which is a crucial component of the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership. Moscow and Beijing are committed to a fair and democratic world order based on collective approaches, equality, and generally recognised norms and principles of international law.

Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi will also exchange views on a broad range of current global and regional issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan. Both countries are taking similar or identical approaches to the majority of international problems and intend to continue close coordination of their foreign policy steps.

The two ministers will discuss a schedule of meetings of the heads of state and contacts at a high political level.

Russia and China attach much importance to intensifying interaction in different multilateral formats, primarily at the UN, but also at the SCO, BRICS, RIC, G20, APEC and EAS. In this context, we proceed from the need to enhance the effectiveness of joint efforts to address global and regional challenges, including the fight against terrorism and facilitation of sustainable development of the world economy.

Russia is proactive in assisting the Chinese BRICS presidency. Both countries are working to ensure connectivity of the EAEU and OBOR (One Belt, One Road) projects.      

Over the last few years Russian-Chinese relations concerning comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation have reached an unprecedented level. The ramified mechanism of interstate dialogue that covers practically all areas of collaboration is functioning smoothly. Intensive contacts at top and high level are providing powerful impetuses for the further development of relations.

In June 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to the People’s Republic of China. Last year the heads of state also conducted bilateral meetings during the summits of the SCO in Tashkent on June 23, the G20 on September 4 in Hangzhou, BRICS on October 15 in Goa, and APEC on November 19 in Lima. In November 2016, Premier of the Chinese State Council Li Keqiang made an official visit to Russia, during which the 21^st regular meeting of the two prime ministers took place. During their talks at the ASEM summit in Ulaanbaatar on July 15, 2016 and on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Vientiane on September 8, 2016, Dmitry Medvedev and Li Keqiang compared notes on the key issues of trade and economic cooperation, coordination of the Silk Road Economic Belt project with the Eurasian Economic Union, and cooperation on major multilateral regional platforms in Asia.

The schedule of contacts for this year looks no less intense. Between May 14-15, President Putin took part as the chief guest at the One Belt, One Road high level international forum in Beijing, where he urged all participants to establish a large Eurasian economic space. He conducted separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier of the Chinese State Council Li Keqiang on the sidelines of this event.

On March 29 of this year, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin met the Vice Premier of the Chinese State Council Wang Yang at the The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue international forum. On April 12, the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Investment Cooperation was co-chaired in Moscow by Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and First Vice Premier of the Chinese State Council Zhang Gaoli.  On April 18-20, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang visited Moscow. A third session of the joint bilateral interparliamentary commission was held during his visit. He also met with Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. On April 25-26, Head of the General Office of the Central Committee of China's Communist Party Li Zhanshu visited Russia. He conducted talks with Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino and was received by President Putin.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is expected to pay an official visit to China in the latter half of the year to take part in the 22^nd regular meeting of the prime ministers of the two countries. It will be preceded by meetings of four large intergovernmental commissions at deputy prime minister level on cooperation in energy, investment and humanitarian sectors, as well as several dozen relevant subcommissions and working groups on preparing regular prime minister meetings. The two countries are planning to hold a regular round of bilateral consultations on strategic security, as well as cooperation in security, law and order, and justice.