China welcomed defence ministers from Iran and Russia to its eastern port city of Qingdao on Thursday for a high-level meeting, taking place amid a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East and renewed NATO military commitments in Europe.
The gathering was part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers’ meeting, held as Iran and Israel maintain a tentative truce following 12 days of conflict. Simultaneously, NATO leaders convened in The Hague and pledged increased defence spending, largely in response to US President Donald Trump’s calls for greater burden-sharing.
China has consistently positioned the SCO—a 10-member regional bloc—as a strategic alternative to Western-dominated alliances, seeking deeper cooperation among its members in the areas of politics, security, commerce, and science.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun described the meeting in Qingdao, home to a major Chinese naval facility, as a response to growing global instability. He criticised rising unilateralism and protectionism, warning that hegemonic and coercive actions were undermining the international order.
“As major global changes accelerate, it’s crucial we act together to protect the foundations of peaceful development,” Dong told his counterparts, which included defence officials from Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, and other nations.
On the sidelines of the summit, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov praised the deepening relationship between Moscow and Beijing, describing it as stronger than ever. “The friendly ties between our countries continue to grow in all areas,” he said.
While China maintains that it is a neutral party in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Western countries argue that its close economic and diplomatic relations with Moscow have provided essential support to the Kremlin.
