Russia says China expressed backing amid Wagner mutiny

MOSCOW — Russia’s foreign ministry says that Beijing had backed Moscow’s efforts to counter a short-lived armed uprising led by the head of the Wager mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“The Chinese side expressed support for the efforts of the leadership of the Russian Federation to stabilize the situation in the country in connection with the events of June 24, and reaffirmed its interest in strengthening the unity and further prosperity of Russia,” the Russian foreign ministry says in a statement following a meeting in Beijing between China’s deputy foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu and Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko.