Amid the Middle East conflict and a European North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit that decided to increase military spending, China hosted defense ministers from Russia and Iran for a meeting Thursday in the coastal city of Qingdao in the east.
Beijing has long tried to improve cooperation among its member nations in trade, research, politics, and security in order to portray the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a counterbalance to power blocs led by the West.
The organization’s senior defense officials are meeting in Qingdao while a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains in place following 12 days of fighting between the bitter enemies.
Additionally, it takes place the day following a NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague.
