US Holds NATO Summit... China Hosts Emerging and Developing Countries Leaders' Meeting and Joint Exercises with Russia

Xi Jinping Meets Bangladesh and Guinea-Bissau Leaders to Discuss Cooperation
Conducts Maritime Patrol with Russia on the 9th

As the United States began the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington DC, China held a summit with emerging and developing countries to secure 'allies' while conducting joint naval exercises with Russia as a countermeasure.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 11th, Chinese President Xi Jinping held separate summit talks with Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and Umaro Sissoco Embal?, President of Guinea-Bissau, who visited China the previous day, emphasizing the importance of bilateral relations and cooperation among developing countries. This is interpreted as an attempt to join hands with emerging and developing countries in response to the joint statement issued at the NATO summit containing messages to check Russia and China.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

During the summit with Prime Minister Hasina, President Xi announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and pledged support for Bangladesh's economic development, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI: the land and maritime Silk Road connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe). Bangladesh is a country China is focusing on to counter India, a party to the border dispute. Bangladesh maintains a traditional friendly relationship with India, which provided military support during its independence from Pakistan in 1971, but also maintains a friendly relationship with China in terms of trade and infrastructure investment. In the summit with President Embal?, relations with Guinea-Bissau were also elevated to a strategic partnership. As the United States increases investment in Africa, the strategic importance of Guinea-Bissau, the gateway to West Africa, is growing.

China also conducted joint exercises with Russia. The Chinese Navy's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong Carrier Group, appeared in the Western Pacific on the 9th during the "4th China-Russia Asia-Pacific Joint Maritime Patrol." The two navies began joint maritime patrols in 2021 to strengthen cooperation, and this year marks the fourth time. Earlier, Russia's TASS news agency reported on the 4th that the Russian Pacific Fleet's frigate Sovremenny, China's Type 052D destroyer Yinchuan, Type 054A frigate Hengshui, and comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu would begin the China-Russia joint maritime patrol.