Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, has held talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Friday. It cited Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister,

China pushed back against recent remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, declaring that Washington could never "sow discord" in its ties with Moscow. Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Russian Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

US attempts to sow discord between China and Russia were "doomed to fail", Beijing said on Thursday, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to outline Washington's strategy to dilute ties between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

Trump’s rapprochement with Russia has some experts suggesting he might be trying to do a “reverse Nixon” and isolate Beijing by courting Moscow.

As Washington and Moscow advance talks to improve bilateral relations, China on Thursday said any US "attempts" to sow discord between China and Russia will be futile, Chinese state media reported.

Trump's shift in foreign policy strengthens ties with China and Russia while sidelining Europe, signalling a major geopolitical realignment.

China enjoys a close relationship with Russia. Weeks prior to Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the two reaffirmed the “no limits” partnership first mentioned by Beijing in 2021. Nato considers China a “decisive enabler” of the Kremlin’s war effort, with Beijing providing critical support to Moscow’s defence industrial base.

US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine appears poised to hand key concessions to Russia, leaving Kyiv and its European supporters on the sidelines as they face the prospect of a peace deal made over their heads.

The Chinese and Russian leaders reaffirmed their relationship in a video call on Monday, an apparent rebuff to the idea that the Trump administration could drive a wedge between them.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine

Leaders of European countries can also be invited to Beijing." Russia has said Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow in May to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in ...

It cited Shoigu, Russia's former defence minister, as saying he was in China on behalf of President Vladimir Putin and noting how aligned Moscow and Beijing were when it came to various international issues.