Lavrov is on a two-day visit to China to boost bilateral ties and discuss the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

Beijing has welcomed a string of leaders this week from countries impacted by the Middle East war and its economic fallout, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vietnamese leader To Lam.

Lavrov met with Xi at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, according to state broadcaster CCTV, a day after he criticised efforts aimed at “containing” Russia and China during talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

In comments apparently referring to the US and its allies, Lavrov said, “they are trying to dismantle (regional cooperation) by creating small-format, bloc-based structures aimed at containing both the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation,” according to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti.

Beijing and Moscow are close economic and political partners, and the relationship has deepened further since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.