Russia’s defense chief visits China, warns West against expanding Ukraine war

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News October 31, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has accused the Western countries of seeking to expand the Ukraine conflict into the Asia-Pacific region. Shoigu delivered remarks at the Xiangshan Defense Forum in Beijing, China.

Shoigu arrived in Beijing on October 30, 2023, to participate in China’s largest military diplomacy conference. While speaking at the forum, Shoigu took a conventionally hard stance on the West, especially criticizing NATO and the United States. He said that the U.S.-led NATO alliance is trying to use the Ukraine war to develop a security crisis in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Shoigu gave his speech during a plenary session on the topic ‘Responsibility of large states and cooperation in the field of global security’.

During his speech, Shoigu said that NATO was “covering up the buildup of military force in the Asia-Pacific region with an ostentatious desire for dialogue, imposing alliances and lines of operational interaction on partners.”

The Russian defense minister accused the NATO countries of driving the arms race in the region while creating unnecessary security blocs, such as the AUKUS and the Quad, to undermine the role of the regional stakeholders.

Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — *^{Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia (R) with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (L) in Beijing on October 30, 2023. (Image Credit: CCTV/via Twitter)}*

“The concept of ‘indivisibility of security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific region’ imposed by Westerners is intended to justify the emergence of alliance forces and infrastructure in Asia,” Shoigu said. He added that the U.S. and its Western allies are threatening Russia through NATO’s expansion “to the east.”

Russian Defense Minister Shoigu also reiterated Moscow’s stance that Russia was open to negotiations about the war in Ukraine under what he described as the right conditions.

Xiangshan Defense Forum

More than 30 defense chiefs and military heads are participating in Beijing’s three-day-long Xiangshan Forum. Billed as an opportunity for countries to resolve differences regarding defense and security issues, the forum comes amid heightened concerns about Israel’s attack on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Beijing has presented itself as a potential peacemaker in both conflicts and aims to become a prominent player in global security while locking horns with Washington.

China’s second highest-ranking military official and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia opened the forum with his speech. Zhang is filling the boots of former Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who was removed from his position last week, after two months of public absence. The reason behind Li’s removal remains unclear.

Zhang said China was “willing to develop military ties with the U.S. on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”

A high-ranking U.S. Defense Department official on China, Cynthia Carras, was present at the forum. She briefly met with the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian on the sidelines. Wu urged the U.S. side to create a favorable atmosphere for communication between American and Chinese armed forces, Chinese media reported.