# Chinese president Xi Jinping told Russia’s top diplomat that their countries should “strengthen mutual support”, as Foreign ministers gathered in Beijing for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation talks. Beijing has long sought to present the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs such as NATO and has pushed for greater collaboration between its 10 members. Top diplomats from the grouping have arrived in Beijing for a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, including Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi.
China wants to strengthen mutual support with Russia