China’s foreign minister signals deeper ties with Russia

FILE - In this photo released by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for a photo prior to their talks on the sideline of the 12th East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 5, 2022. Wang defended his country's position on the war in Ukraine on Sunday, Dec. 25, and signaled that China would deepen ties with Russia in the coming year while striving to bring US China ties back on the right course. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)FILE - In this photo released by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for a photo prior to their talks on the sideline of the 12th East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 5, 2022. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP, File)BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi defended what he said was his country’s position of impartiality on the war in Ukraine on Sunday and signaled that China would deepen ties with Russia in the coming year. ADVERTISEMENTWang accused the U.S. of “unilateral bullying” and said that China would continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis in its own way, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.