BEIJING, 23 March, 2021 (TON): Amid criticism and western sanctions over alleged human rights violations, the foreign ministers of China and Russia displayed unity at their meeting on Tuesday.
Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov at their initial meeting in the southern Chinese city of Nanning on Monday accused the U.S. of interference in other countries’ affairs and urged it to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement.

Russia and China both have maintained close relations with Tehran.
On Tuesday, Wang sharply criticized coordinated sanctions brought by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States against Chinese officials over human rights abuses in China’s far western Xinjiang region.

“Countries should stand together to oppose all forms of unilateral sanctions,” Wang said.

“These measures will not be embraced by the international community,” he added.
China and Russia were rivals for leadership of the communist world during the Cold War but have built a strong relationship in recent years based on opposition to the U.S-led liberal order and cooperation in military affairs, technology and trade in natural resources.

Russia has been under Western sanctions for years over its seizure of the Crimea, support for separatists in western Ukraine and attacks on government critics.
China and the US held contentious talks in Hawaii last week while US-Russia relations took a severe hit on Thursday after Putin shot back at Biden’s comments.