Hong Kong
CNN
–
Iran’s defense minister traveled to diplomatic and economic allies on his first reported overseas trip since a 12-day clash with Israel temporarily dragged the US into a new regional conflict.
Aziz Nasirzadeh is one of nine defense ministers who say that Chinese state media has participated in a gathering of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Chinese and Russian-led regional security group that has become prominent to build an alternative international bloc for those backed by the US.
The two-day gathering began on Wednesday in Qingdao, a coastal city of China. The day after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, the days of air attacks between the two were quelled, separated by US strikes at three Iranian nuclear facilities.
SCO Gathering coincides with a meeting of NATO leaders in The Hague, with US President Donald Trump saying the US will meet with Iran “next week” about a potential nuclear deal.
The Beijing rally was part of an event that revolved around the SCO chair, spotlighting China’s role as a major international player, even as it remained a bystander of the Israeli-Iran conflict, primarily the Israeli-Iranian conflict.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun did not directly address the dispute on Wednesday’s remarks to bring the country together, as reported by Chinese state media, but aimed to position China as a country with an alternative vision for global security.
“Unsolved protectionism and protectionism are surged, but hegemonic, high-handed, bullying acts seriously undermine international order, and make these practices the biggest cause of confusion and harm,” Don said, adopting the language he normally uses to criticize the United States.
China’s Secretary of Defense called on SCO countries, including China and Russia, including India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
According to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, the countries attending “expressed a strong will to integrate and develop military cooperation.”
Iran’s Nasirzadeh also reported, “he expressed his gratitude to China for his understanding and support of Iran’s legitimate stance.”
The minister was quoted as saying, “We hope that China will continue to play an even greater role in maintaining the current ceasefire and alleviating tensions in the region.”
Chinese officials condemned Israel’s unprecedented attack on Iran on June 13, which took over top military leaders, causing the recent conflict and subsequent bombing of the US. He also supported a ceasefire and criticised Washington’s entry into the conflict, saying it was a “big blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.”
Beijing, Iran’s leading diplomatic and economic supporter, has moved to further deeper cooperation in recent years, including joint naval training. Chinese officials have long expressed opposition to US sanctions on Iran, criticizing the US’s withdrawal from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal.
China remains Iran’s largest energy buyer, but has not reported Iran’s first purchase of oil in official customs data since 2022, analysts said. CNN reports that China-made chemicals needed to produce missile fuel have been delivered to Iran.
Recently, China seemed less entangled in conflict that has gone beyond diplomatic efforts, analysts say they are instead using another opportunity to portray themselves as a responsible global player and as a force to destabilize the United States.
When asked at a press conference for China’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday, whether Beijing would consider providing material military support to Iran as a member of the SCO, provincial spokesman Zhang Xiaogang told CNN: “China is willing to work with all political parties to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, SCO believes in recent years that it has grown in line with shared ambitions in Beijing and Moscow and is restraining the US alliance system.
Although not an alliance, the group says it aims to “make a joint effort to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.”
However, while SCO has long been considered limited, it has been involved in overlapping interests and frictions between its members, including Pakistan and India, which engaged in a fierce conflict earlier this year, as well as China and India, which have had years of border tensions.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the Qingdao Conference, the first visit from India’s defence chief to China since the fatal border clash between the two countries in 2020.
Steven Jiang of CNN, Beijing and New Delhi Bureau, contributed to this report.