China received on Thursday the ministers of the defense of Iran, Russia and other allied countries in a moment of “crucial changes” in the international scenario, with multiple wars in the Middle East and the increase in military spending decided by NATO (Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty).
The Asian giant organizes in the port city of Qingdao, in the east of the country, a summit of the organization for the Shanghai cooperation, an intergovernmental forum with ten members, which Beijing presents as a counterweight to the Western blocks.
In front of his peers from Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Belarus, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun described the summit in Qingdao as a balance factor before a world “in chaos and instability.”
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“As crucial changes of the century are accelerated, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise,” said Dong, according to quotes released by state agency Xinhua.
“The hegemonic, dominating, and intimidating acts seriously undermine the international order,” Dong warned, who invited his partners to “take firmer measures to jointly safeguard the environment for peaceful development.”
The meeting in this city with an important Chinese naval base occurs amid a fragile ceasefire in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
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It also occurs after a summit in The Hague with NATO leaders, who decided to raise the expenses in defense to meet the demands of US President Donald Trump.
The meeting in Qingdao allowed a separate meeting between Dong and Russian Defense Minister Andrei Beloussov, who celebrated the ties “of a high level unprecedented” between the two countries.
“Amisting relationships between our countries maintain an upward trend of development in all directions,” said Beloussov.
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China presents itself as a neutral actor in Russia’s war against Ukraine, but Western governments criticize that it has offered Moscow diplomatic and economic support.
