The most important task for Russia and China is to counter any attempt by the United States to contain their countries, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Chinese foreign minister on Tuesday.

American agencies have assessed that China dislikes the growing partnership between Russia and North Korea. The State Department has raised the troop issue with Chinese diplomats.

Senior Russian official Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday told China's foreign minister Wang Yi their two countries' most urgent task should be countering "containment" by the United States, as they met for security talks in Beijing.

The incoming EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, wants the European Union to take a tougher stance on China for supporting Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Without China's support to Russia,