Lead

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on July 24 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting. During the talks, Wang Yi called for China and Russia to work together to promote the development of the SCO and strengthen its international standing, according to statements reported by TASS.

Coverage Comparison

The meeting was covered by TASS in two separate reports. The first, dated July 24, focused on the agenda of the talks, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that relations with Washington and the situation around the Ukrainian crisis were discussed. The second report, dated July 25, highlighted Wang Yi's remarks on SCO cooperation, as quoted by China's Foreign Ministry. Both reports present the talks as constructive, with the Russian Foreign Ministry noting that the countries' approaches to the majority of topics raised are either identical or close.

Key Claims

  • Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov met on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on July 24, as reported by TASS.
  • The Russian Foreign Ministry said the two top diplomats discussed issues of relations with the United States and the situation around the Ukrainian crisis, according to TASS.
  • The sides stated that their countries' approaches to the majority of the topics raised are either identical or close, as quoted in the Russian Foreign Ministry statement carried by TASS.
  • Wang Yi called for China and Russia to jointly support the SCO's development and strengthening, promote the Shanghai Spirit, and inject fresh momentum into improving global governance and building a community with a shared future for mankind, as quoted by China's Foreign Ministry and reported by TASS.
  • Wang Yi noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China in May included an important meeting between the leaders, which helped bring cooperation between Beijing and Moscow to a new stage of more active and accelerated development, as reported by TASS.
  • Wang Yi also noted that elections to the Russian State Duma will be held in September and wished the Russian side success in conducting them, according to TASS.