China’s defence chief slams Western ‘bullying’, rallies regional allies

China’s defence minister summoned familiar talking points as he took aim at Western nations during a security conference on Thursday, without naming any particular country, urging nations to stand up against “bullying” and describing military alliances as groups with “selfish interests”.

The calls by Dong Jun appeared to resonate with defence chiefs from Southeast Asia, as they took turns criticising unilateral actions, including US tariffs, and calling for greater efforts to advance multilateralism.

Dong kicked off his nearly 30-minute address at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing by warning about the uncertain state of the international environment, cautioning that the world was undergoing rapid changes and “overshadowed by Cold War mentality, hegemonism and protectionism”.

He urged countries to cooperate to defend the post-war order and to stand up against “disguised hegemonic logic and bullying acts”, in a veiled reference to the US.

“Today, the world is standing at another crossroads: peace or war, dialogue or confrontation, win-win or zero-sum. We must make the just and right choice,” he said, echoing remarks made by President Xi Jinping at the country’s Victory Day military parade earlier this month.

In a swipe at Western-led groups, Dong framed military alliances and political blocs as “small, exclusive groups that serve hegemonic and selfish interests”, adding that such groups “carve up interests together”.

South China Morning Post