BEIJING: Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko flew to Beijing for talks with China on “international” issues, amid a major challenge by Russian mercenaries to President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.
Rudenko on Sunday (Jun 25) exchanged views with China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in a meeting in the Chinese capital on Sino-Russian relations as well as “international and regional issues of common concern”, China’s foreign ministry said in a one-line statement on its website.
It was unclear when Rudenko arrived in Beijing, or whether his visit to China, a key ally of Russia, was in response to the apparent rebellion by heavily armed mercenaries on Friday.
China has yet to publicly comment on the rebellion that Putin said threatened Russia’s very existence. Western leaders including US President Joe Biden said they were closely monitoring the situation.
“China will support Russia while stressing no interference of its internal affairs,” prominent Chinese military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping told Reuters.
Earlier, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said his “march” on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin’s mercenary Wagner army has since halted its advance in a move Prigozhin said would avoid bloodshed.
The rebellion has been closely followed by Chinese media which has refrained from comment ahead of any official remarks, whereas many Chinese citizens have spoken up in support of Putin on social media.
“You can do it, Russia!” many Chinese citizens wrote in social media posts.
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