Russia and China say their relationship remains strong following a visit to Moscow by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and was hosted by President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

CGTN’s Jack Parrock reports.

It was a show of unity between Russia and China while both countries are facing complicated relations with the West. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi strongly criticized the U.S. for proposing tariffs on 1,300 Chinese exports.

“The Chinese and the U.S. economies have been deeply interrelated with both sides’ interests highly intertwined. The U.S. is wrong by attempting to benefit from protectionism,” said Wang at a press conference with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Amid the tariffs dispute, China and Russia also addressed other issues. The ministers discussed efforts to conduct a so-called double freeze regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea where they persuade Pyongyang to scale back its nuclear tests and for South Korea to end its U.S.-backed military drills.

The meetings in Moscow come ahead of a summit between the two countries of the Korean peninsula on April 27th. Before that though, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho is comingto Russia to meet with Lavrov.

Meanwhile, Russia is in the middle of another diplomatic issue, last month’s nerve agent attack on a Russian former spy and his daughter in the UK. Lavrov says he’ll use any means necessary to protect Russian interests.

Moscow’s proposal to conduct a joint investigation into the incident was rejected at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague.

“We are not interested in confrontation or the escalation of an arms race. But Russia will defend its interests, sovereignty and independence purposefully and effectively by using the whole arsenal of means at our disposal,” said Lavrov.

And experts say these trying times for Russia and China only serve to push the two countries closer together.

“When there is a confrontation period or what I call ‘cool war’ between Russia and the West, Russia needs China. And China as well needs Russia, so it’s a logical interest and also one of the important elements of this cooperation will be further discussions on strengthening military cooperation between the two countries,” said Andrey Fyodorov, a political analyst.

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers also used their meetings to discuss Syria and Afghanistan and to prepare for a state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in June.

Simon Saradzhyan discusses Chinese FM Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow

CGTN’s Mike Walter talks with Simon Saradzhyan, Founding Director of the Russia Matters Project, about Wang Yi’s visit to Moscow.