China’s foreign ministry declined to comment on Saturday on the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying it was “Russia’s internal matter.”
“This is Russia’s internal matter. I will not comment,” China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson’s Office said in response to a question from AFP.
Russian officials said Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent critic, died in an Arctic prison on Friday, a month ahead of elections to extend President Vladimir Putin’s power.
His death after three years in detention, which he blamed on the Kremlin’s poisoning, has left the Russian opposition without its figurehead image amid a harsh crackdown in Ukraine and Moscow’s campaign in the country.
Beijing and Moscow are staunch allies, with ties strengthening even as Western countries turned their backs on Russia over its military incursion into neighboring Ukraine.
Both sides also attach great importance to the personal relationship between the two leaders, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling Russian President Vladimir Putin his “good friend.”
Dissidents and some Western leaders have placed the blame directly on Putin and his government for the 47-year-old’s death, which followed months of his deteriorating health in poor detention conditions.