China says it'll 'strengthen strategic cooperation' with Russia no matter what

• China will "strengthen strategic coordination" with Russia no matter what, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
• China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng made the remark to the Russian ambassador to China Andrey Denisov, CNN reported.

China will "strengthen strategic coordination" with Russia no matter what, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday as Moscow continues its weeks-long unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng made the remark to the Russian ambassador to China Andrey Denisov during a meeting on Monday, CNN reported.

"No matter how the international landscape may change, China will continue to strengthen strategic coordination with Russia to achieve win-win cooperation, jointly safeguard our common interests and promote the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind," Yucheng said, according to CNN, which cited the statement.

The Chinese vice foreign minister pointed to a roughly 30% increase in trade between China and Russia during the year's first quarter, reaching about $38.2 billion.

Yucheng said the increase demonstrates a "tremendous resilience" between the two countries, according to CNN.

The comments by Yucheng echo a growing alliance between Russia and China.

China has boosted its alliance with Russia in recent years and the two countries have become major trade partners.

Trade between China and Russia has grown from $10.7 billion in 2004 to $140 billion by 2021, according to the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank, Insider has previously reported.

As the US and other countries across the world have condemned Russia for launching its invasion of Ukraine and accused the country of committing war crimes, China sought to take a more neutral stance.