The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that China expressed its support for the Russian leadership in its efforts to maintain internal stability following the attempted mutiny by the Wagner military group on Saturday. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that China supports Russia in maintaining its national stability.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko held discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing regarding international issues, as Russian President Vladimir Putin faces a challenge to his authority from the Wagner military group. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement on its website indicated that Rudenko exchanged views with the Chinese foreign minister on Chinese-Russian relations and other international and regional issues of mutual interest.
Chinese military expert and television commentator Song Zhongping told Reuters, "China will support Russia while affirming non-interference in its internal affairs." The Chinese embassy in Russia pointed to a report on Saturday that the area surrounding Moscow is calm.
The Chinese state newspaper, Global Times, noted on Saturday that exaggerating Prigozhin's "mutiny" and spreading the "illusion" that Russia is filled with internal contradictions and that "the structure is crumbling" is the latest attack from Western media and another attempt to undermine Russian social unity.
Earlier, the head of the Russian private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, stated that his "march" to Moscow aimed to oust corrupt Russian leaders whom he accuses of failing the war in Ukraine. The military group then halted its advance, a move Prigozhin claimed would spare the country bloodshed.
