BEIJING: China’s military will strengthen defence cooperation with the militaries of fellow Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, a spokesperson for the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
Addressing a regular press conference, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence, said the move aims to bolster mutual trust and security coordination under the framework of the SCO.
The spokesperson said that the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting was held in the Chinese city of Qingdao from June 25 to 26, 2025.
Colonel Xiaogang added that China wants to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit and broaden and deepen defence cooperation, and join hands in building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquillity, prosperity and development, good-neighbourliness and friendship.
He said China’s Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun presided over the meeting and delivered a speech.
This year, China holds the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and hosting the Defence Ministers’ Meeting is a key part of fulfilling its responsibilities.
When asked about the Chinese military’s role in SCO defence and security cooperation, the spokesperson noted that such cooperation has played an important role throughout the organisation’s establishment and development.
China has actively advanced strategic dialogue, strengthened practical cooperation, and launched numerous collaborative initiatives within this framework.
The spokesperson further stated that, firstly, China has organised or taken part in the Defence Ministers’ Meeting, the Chiefs of General Staff Meeting, and the Meeting of International Military Cooperation Organs, among others.
Through these platforms, China has engaged in dialogue and exchanged views with all member states, building consensus and promoting the “SCO voice” on international and regional security matters.
Secondly, China has hosted and participated on multiple occasions in the “Peace Mission” joint exercises, the “Fanfare for Peace” military tattoo, and meetings of the Expert Working Group.
It has also conducted professional exchanges in areas such as military medicine, military transport, and military translation.
These efforts have helped to further deepen and consolidate cooperation across a range of fields.
Third, China has initiated and held the SCO Seminar for Senior-Level Officers, the SCO Junior-and-Middle-Level Officers’ Exchange, and the “SCO+” Young Scholars’ Salon, all of which have enriched the channels for exchanges among service members of the SCO member states, and strengthened their friendship and mutual trust, he added.
