China says it will work with Russia to promote ‘real democracy’

China will work with Russia to promote “real democracy”, said a Chinese diplomat as the west continued to corner both nations over human-rights violations.

“China is willing to work together with Russia and the global community to promote real democracy based on nations’ own conditions,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi was quoted by Bloomberg as saying at a China-Russia thinktank summit on Wednesday.

Both administrations, known for being authoritative in nature, have been accused by critics of violating the human rights of their citizens.

In a veiled attack on the US, Mr Wang said “monopolising” the definition of democracy and human rights to influence other nations was a tactic “doomed to fail”.

The US has led the west and other countries in imposing tough sanctions on Russia for Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Beijing, a key ally of Moscow, has maintained a neutral stance on the war by expressing concerns about civilian casualties while condemning the US for encouraging the eastern expansion of Nato.

Chinese president Xi Jinping declared a “no limits” friendship with Mr Putin on the eve of the invasion and reportedly refrained from speaking to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Wang, at the event attended by his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, said Beijing and Moscow should “continue to make important contributions” to global governance as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Last week, both China and Russia vetoed a UN resolution sponsored by the US that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea for a spate of test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The Chinese minister said global and regional security should not be achieved through “strengthening military groups” and “fragmenting supply chains”.

“China and Russia should continue to join hands with peace-loving countries in the world to safeguard the global order with the UN at its core and based on international laws.”

Mr Lavrov, during his first visit to Beijing earlier in March, said: “We, together with you, and with our sympathisers will move towards a multipolar, just, democratic world order.”

A readout from the Chinese foreign ministry had then quoted Mr Wang as saying that bilateral relations between both the countries have “withstood the new test of the changing international situation, maintained the correct direction of progress and shown tenacious development momentum”.

On 24 May, Japan accused China and Russia of carrying out joint flights over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea as the Quad summit took place in Tokyo.

“Two Chinese bombers joined two Russian bombers in the Sea of Japan and made a joint flight to the East China Sea,” Japanese defence minister Nobuo Kishi said.

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