Overview

• China convened defense ministers from all 10 SCO member states in Qingdao, including Russia, Iran, India and Pakistan.
• Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun called the talks a response to accelerating global “chaos and instability” driven by unilateralism and protectionism.
• Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov warned of worsening military and political tensions worldwide and praised Sino-Russian defense cooperation as unprecedented.
• The gathering took place days after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect and on the heels of a NATO summit in The Hague where members pledged higher defense budgets.
• China maintained its official neutrality on the Ukraine war despite Western allegations that it provides economic and diplomatic support to Moscow.