Overview
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia recognizes Taiwan as part of China and opposes any form of Taiwanese independence.
- He said Russia would support China if tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalate, pointing to the 2001 Treaty of Good‑Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation.
- Lavrov described the issue as an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China and asserted Beijing’s right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- He accused Western countries of deliberately heightening tensions, a point he also made in a Rossiyskaya Gazeta article marking 75 years of Russia–China ties.
- The remarks came in a TASS year‑end interview that also criticized Japan’s military course and followed U.S. approval of $11 billion in proposed arms sales to Taiwan.