China, Russia pledge to counter 'extra-regional forces' in Southeast Asia

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on July 25, 2024.

China and Russia's foreign ministers met their Southeast Asian counterparts Friday after vowing to counter "extra-regional forces," a day before Washington's top diplomat was due to arrive.