Russia, China pledge to strengthen ties after fizzled rebellion against Kremlin

By SIMINA MISTREANU

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China and Russia have pledged to strengthen cooperation a day after a brief rebellion by a Russian mercenary commander against Kremlin fizzled out. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko made a previously unannounced visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to discuss “international and regional issues of common concern,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. It was unclear whether Rudenko’s visit had been planned or was in response to a rebellion during which Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march on Moscow in the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power.