Top China, Russia officials warn foreign forces stoking turmoil

Top Chinese and Russian officials warned Monday that foreign forces were seeking to sow turmoil in Asia and beyond as they opened an international defence conference in Beijing.

Beijing has billed this week's Xiangshan Forum as its answer to Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue and says that representatives of 90 countries are taking part, including Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

China is holding the forum without a sitting defence chief, having abruptly announced the sacking of minister Li Shangfu last week without explanation.

Speaking at the conference's opening ceremony, Zhang Youxia, one of China's most senior military officials, painted a grim picture of the international outlook, blaming countries he did not name for the turmoil.

"As we look across the world today, hotspot issues are arising one after another. The pain of war, chaos and turmoil, and loss of life are constantly playing out," Zhang said.

"Some countries, for fear that the world may stabilise, deliberately create turmoil, interfere in regional issues, interfere in other countries' internal affairs, and instigate color revolutions," he said.

"Behind the scenes, they hand out knives and think nothing of provoking people into wars, ensuring that they're the ones who benefit from the chaos," he added.

But Zhang also said China was seeking to improve military-to-military ties with the United States, with whom tensions have soared over the disputed South China Sea and Beijing's drills around the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

"We are also willing to develop China-U.S. military relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," he told delegates.

'Catastrophic consequences'

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