From February 2 to 3, 2023, Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu went to Russia to hold consultations between the foreign ministries of China and Russia, during which he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and held consultations with Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Rudenko Andrey Yurevich and Vershinin Sergey Vasilievich.

Ma Zhaoxu exchanged in-depth views with the Russian side on China-Russia relations, bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries, and international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern. He stressed that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has always maintained a momentum of high-level development. The political mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, cooperation in various fields has steadily advanced, and international cooperation has become closer. China is ready to work with Russia to earnestly implement the important common understandings reached between the two heads of state and promote new progress in bilateral relations in the new year.

The Russian side said that it is ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China, implement the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, deepen bilateral and multilateral strategic cooperation, and maintain close communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, so as to take Russia-China relations to a higher level.