China hosts Iranian, Russian defence ministers against backdrop of 'momentous change'

China on Wednesday hosted defence ministers from Iran and Russia in the eastern seaside city of Qingdao, a meeting set against the complex backdrop of ongoing conflict in the Middle East and a recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in Europe that saw a significant agreement to boost military spending.

The gathering of top defence officials from the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) underscores Beijing's longstanding efforts to position the bloc as a counterbalance to Western-led alliances. 

China has consistently advocated for enhanced collaboration among SCO member countries across political, security, trade, and scientific domains.

The Qingdao meeting takes place as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel holds after 12 days of intense fighting between the regional rivals. 

Coincidentally, it also follows directly on the heels of a NATO leaders' summit in The Hague, where member nations agreed to increase their defence spending to meet the demands of United States President Donald Trump.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun framed Thursday's meeting of officials in Qingdao, home to a major Chinese naval base, as a counterweight to a world in "chaos and instability".

"As momentous changes of the century accelerate, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise," Dong said as he welcomed defence chiefs from Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus and elsewhere on Wednesday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

"Hegemonic, domineering and bullying acts severely undermine the international order," he warned.

He urged his counterparts to "take more robust actions to jointly safeguard the environment for peaceful development".

Meeting Dong on the sidelines of the summit, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov hailed ties between the two countries as being "at an unprecedentedly high level".

"Friendly relations between our countries maintain upward dynamics of development in all directions," he said.

China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia's war with Ukraine, although Western governments say its close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.