China and Russia got their turns at the U.N. General Assembly podium on Saturday, but — per usual — their top leaders didn't speak. Instead, they turned to their foreign ministers, WANG YI and SERGEY LAVROV.
Wang's speech, per usual for China at the U.N., didn't break much new ground. He weighed in on the importance of national sovereignty — a frequent talking point for Beijing — and insisted, as he usually does, that Taiwan incontrovertibly belongs to China.
Wang warned fellow leaders against an “expansion of the battlefield” in Russia’s war with Ukraine and said the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict toward its end. He warned against other nations “throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains,” a likely reference to the United States.
Lavrov, meanwhile, waded into the topic of nukes three days after Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN aired a shift in his country’s nuclear doctrine, “I’m not going to...