RUSSIAN Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing today.

Russian news agency Tass said ministers would “discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific region, issues of bilateral co-operation and interaction in the international arena,” quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Monday that “China has an objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue.

“We have been actively promoting peace talks and political solutions. China is not a creator [of] or party to the Ukraine crisis, and we have not and will not do anything to profit from it,” Ms Mao said at a daily briefing.

China has provided no arms or military assistance to Russia, though it has maintained robust economic connections with Moscow.

Ms Mao said: “We have always controlled the export of dual-use items in accordance with the law” — referring to hardware that can be used for both industrial or military purposes, such as drones. China has tightened its restrictions on exporting such products since the war began.

Referring to the United States, Ms Mao said: “The relevant country should not smear or attack normal relations between China and Russia.”