Russia Pledges Energy Support to China as Ties Tighten

Overview

• Lavrov, who met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, said Russia can "compensate" China's energy shortfall tied to the Middle East war.
• He announced that Vladimir Putin will visit China in the first half of 2026, with local reporting indicating the trip could come in May after President Donald Trump's planned Beijing stop.
• Xi Jinping met Lavrov in Beijing on Wednesday and called for closer cooperation to defend both countries' interests as global tensions rise.
• Coverage differs on who is restricting the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries about 20% of global oil, with O Globo citing an Iranian blockade and Poder360 pointing to a new U.S. Navy operation.
• The ministers also discussed Japan's new long-range missile deployments, which both governments criticize as destabilizing, noting the reported 1,000 km range can reach Shanghai.