China says Moscow relations solid, accuses U.S. of building 'Pacific NATO'

BEIJING -- China's relations with Russia remain "rock-solid" despite a landslide of criticism over Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday, as he repeated calls for dialogue to end the war and accused the U.S. of building an "Indo-Pacific version of NATO".

China's top diplomat did not address earlier calls from his Ukrainian counterpart to broker a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv, and there was little sign that Beijing was changing its cautious stance toward a bloody conflict that has seen hundreds killed in fierce fighting.