China says it was in close communication with Russia at all levels during Wagner rebellion

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Monday said Beijing maintained “close communication at all levels” with Russia following the now-withdrawn advancement of paramilitary group Wagner toward Moscow.

“The two countries have maintained close communication at all levels,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, when asked whether leaders of China and Russia held talks over the Wagner group insurrection.

“The incident is an internal affair of Russia,” Mao said, according to the Chinese daily Global Times.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, called off his advance on Moscow and will leave Russia for Belarus.

Tensions between the Kremlin and Wagner escalated after Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking his fighters.

Russia has denied those claims.

Moscow dispatched Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko to Beijing who held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday.

Calling the Wagner rebellion Russia's "internal affair," Beijing late Sunday said: "As a friendly neighbor and a comprehensive strategic cooperation partner in the new era, China supports Russia in maintaining national stability and achieving development and prosperity."

The statement was repeated by Mao during her routine briefing on Monday in Beijing.

Prigozhin had, in recent months, repeatedly accused the Russian Defense Ministry and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu of not supplying sufficient arms to the paramilitary group.

On Friday night, he announced a march toward Moscow and later withdrew it after reaching a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's to stop Wagner's operations in Russia.