- The meeting comes amid regional tensions following the brief Israel-Iran war and just days after a NATO summit in The Hague focused on increased defence spending.
China on Thursday hosted defence chiefs from Iran, Russia, and other nations at a high-level Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Qingdao.
The meeting comes amid regional tensions following the brief Israel-Iran war and just days after a NATO summit in The Hague focused on increased defence spending.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun opened the session with a warning against rising unilateralism and protectionism, saying they are driving global instability.
The SCO, seen as a counterbalance to Western alliances, includes countries like China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, and several Central Asian states.
“Hegemonic, domineering and bullying acts severely undermine the international order,” Dong stated, calling for stronger collaboration among SCO nations to maintain a stable environment for development.
At the SCO summit in Qingdao, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun called for stronger joint efforts to safeguard peace and development.
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh noted the world is undergoing a major shift, with globalisation losing momentum, and urged SCO members to confront common challenges together.
“The world we live in is undergoing a drastic transformation. Globalisation, which once brought us closer together, has been losing momentum,” he said.
Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov also met with Dong Jun on the sidelines, praising the deepening strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing.
“Friendly relations between our countries maintain upward dynamics of development in all directions,” Belousov said.
Despite China’s claim of neutrality in Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, Western countries have accused Beijing of providing Moscow with critical economic and diplomatic support.
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