Xi Jinping urges regional leaders to resist outside interference as security bloc expands to counter US

Hong Kong
CNN

Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged regional leaders on Thursday to resist outside interference at a meeting of a Eurasian security bloc touted by Beijing and Moscow as a counterweight to Western power.

Speaking at the annual leaders' summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan, Xi Jinping called on member states to consolidate the power of unity in the face of the real challenge of interference and division.

We must work together to resist external interference and firmly take charge of our own future and destiny, as well as regional peace and development, Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The 10-member bloc should handle internal differences peacefully, seek common ground and resolve difficulties through cooperation, Xi added.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to combat terrorism and promote border security, the SCO has grown in recent years as Beijing and Moscow lead a transformation of the bloc from a regional security club focused on Central Asia to a geopolitical counterweight to Western institutions led by the United States and its allies.

On Thursday, Belarus, a staunch Russian ally that helped Moscow launch its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, became the latest authoritarian state to join the SCO, after Iran. became a full member Last year, the bloc saw its first expansion in 2017 to accommodate India and Pakistan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conspicuously absent from this year's event, further adding to the perception of the SCO's anti-Western orientation.

At the summit, Xi Jinping warned of what he called the real threat of the Cold War mentality and called on member states to maintain our security foundation.

He also urged countries to uphold the right to development in the face of real risks from small construction sites with high fences, referring to a strategy adopted by the United States to restrict key technologies from China.

The Chinese leader stressed the need to jointly promote scientific and technological innovation and maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains.

On the eve of the summit, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two leaders behind the SCO expansion, met on the sidelines and hailed their countries' deepening alignment.

In his opening speech before their bilateral meeting, Putin said that Russia-China relations are going through the best period in their history and should be seen as a stabilizing force for the world.

Russian-Chinese cooperation in global affairs is a major stabilizing factor on the international stage, and we continue to further strengthen it, Putin told Xi on Wednesday.

The Russian president also highlighted the role of Moscow and Beijing in the cradle of the founding of the SCO and noted its rapid expansion in recent years.

As the number of participants has grown, the SCO has also acquired a more important role as one of the key pillars of a just multipolar world order, Putin said.

The meeting marks the second face-to-face between the two leaders in just two months after Putin's visit to Beijing in May and comes shortly after the Russian president struck a historic defense pact with North Korea.

Much to the dismay of the United States and Europe, China and Russia have deepened their political, economic and military ties since Putin and Xi declared an unlimited partnership in February 2022, when the Russian leader visited Beijing just weeks before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

China has overtaken the European Union to become Russia's largest trading partner, providing vital support to its heavily sanctioned economy. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have also continued to hold joint military exercises, including with Iran.

At the same time, the United States has accused China of supplying Russia with dual-use goods that bolster the two warring countries' military-industrial complex as it attacks Ukraine, something Beijing denies.

In his opening speech on Wednesday, Xi Jinping told Putin that China and Russia should continue to uphold the original aspiration of their lasting friendship in the face of an international situation fraught with turbulence and change.

Xi also spoke highly of the unique value of China-Russia relations, urging the two countries to make new efforts to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests as well as the basic norms governing international relations.

China and Russia should continue to strengthen overall strategic coordination, oppose external interference and jointly safeguard regional tranquility and stability, Xi said, according to a press release. reading out loud from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This story has been updated with additional information.