Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has hosted his Iranian counterpart and other senior defence staff on an advanced Chinese warship days after the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, while stating “hegemony” is the biggest source of global chaos.
Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was among defence chiefs received by Dong on the ship on Wednesday alongside the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting in Qingdao, a two-day event that ends on Thursday.
Nasirzadeh and the other defence chiefs toured the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Type 052D destroyer Kaifeng before attending a reception on its deck, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
On the ship, Nasirzadeh thanked Beijing for “supporting Iran’s legitimate position after recent attacks” from Israel and the US.
“We hope China will continue to stand for justice, help maintain the current ceasefire and play a greater role in easing regional tensions,” he said, according to Xinhua.
It said Dong addressed the gathered ministers and said “unilateralism, protectionism and acts of hegemony and bullying are surging, severely disrupting the international order and making them the biggest source of chaos and strife”.
Dong called for closer cooperation within the United Nations, the SCO and other multilateral frameworks, urging members to unite “with more like-minded forces” to defend international fairness and preserve global stability.
“The SCO nations must stay true to its founding ideals, carry forward the ‘Shanghai Spirit’, and deepen practical cooperation across fields,” Dong said. “With stronger action, we can safeguard a peaceful environment for development together.”
The event came just days after Saturday’s US strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, which Beijing has strongly condemned.
China’s foreign ministry said the strikes on the nuclear sites, which were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, seriously violated the UN Charter and its principles.
The Chinese defence minister later held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Belarus, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, according to Xinhua. The state news agency said all sides spoke highly of Beijing’s efforts and important contributions during its rotating chairmanship in enhancing SCO operational mechanisms and deepening cooperation across sectors and expressed strong willingness to further consolidate and expand military ties.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, lauded Beijing for its role in defusing tensions. “Pakistan deeply values its ironclad friendship with China and is ready to work together to implement its three global initiatives, deepen military cooperation, and help maintain regional peace and stability,” he said.
For Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, this year – the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, China’s people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world’s anti-fascist war – is an opportunity to deepen the bilateral military relationship. “We will, guided by the consensus of our leaders, intensify strategic communication and cooperation and contribute to global strategic stability,” he said.
According to China’s defence ministry, the SCO defence ministers’ meeting is one of the key events organised during China’s rotating chairmanship of the SCO this year. The ministers, alongside SCO and regional counterterrorism representatives, met to further consolidate military trust and deepen practical cooperation between member nations.
The SCO, made up of 10 nations – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Iran and Belarus – now covers roughly three-fifths of the Eurasian land mass and nearly 43 per cent of the world’s population.
The Kaifeng destroyer is the sixth of its class of a stretched Type 052D variant and serves with the North Sea Fleet. Commissioned in April 2021, it is around 159 metres (521 feet) long, displaces around 7,500 tonnes and carries a 517C anti-stealth radar. Its enlarged deck allows for the PLA Navy’s Z-20 helicopters.
The warship has conducted numerous long-range exercises, including its most recent known transit through the Tsushima Strait in April, as part of Beijing’s growing operational presence in the western Pacific.
It was open to the public during the Chinese navy’s 74th anniversary celebrations in Qingdao in 2023.