Chinese, Russian FMs hold phone call on bilateral ties, situation in Kazakhstan

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on bilateral ties and the situation in Kazakhstan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China and his attendance at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics will not only be the first in-person meeting between the two countries' heads of state in nearly two years, but also a major event in international relations at the start of this year, Wang said.

China is ready to strengthen coordination with Russia to ensure the complete success and fruitful results of the "get-together for the Winter Olympics" and "meeting in the Spring Festival" between the two countries' heads of state, Wang said.

On the situation in Kazakhstan, Wang stressed that Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a verbal message to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, publicly expressing China's firm opposition to any attempt by external forces to provoke unrest and instigate "color revolutions" in Kazakhstan.

The Chinese side agrees with President Tokayev's assessment on the nature of the riots in Kazakhstan, and supports the Collective Security Treaty Organization in assisting Kazakhstan in fighting violent terrorist forces and playing a positive role in restoring stability in Kazakhstan on the premise of respecting Kazakhstan's sovereignty, Wang said.

China and Russia, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and friendly neighbors of Central Asian countries, must prevent chaos or war from erupting in Central Asia, Wang said.