Russia and China show off ties amid manoeuvring over Ukraine

The two nations have held a series of military drills showing off their increasingly close defence ties.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, right, welcomes the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign policy chief Wang Yi for their talks in Moscow (Alexander Nemenov/Pool/AP)

Russia and China have showcased their deepening ties in a series of meetings in Moscow closely watched for signs that Beijing might offer a stronger support to the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine.

The visit by Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official, comes as the conflict in Ukraine continues to upend the global diplomatic order.