A high-ranking Chinese military official and the Russian defense minister accused some countries on Monday of wanting to “create trouble” in Asia and elsewhere, during a defense forum in Beijing.

The two men were speaking at the Xiangshan Conference, China’s largest annual defense forum attended by military and diplomats from 90 countries, which kicked off on Sunday.

The conference is being held this year as China’s defense minister’s post remains vacant following the announcement last week of the unexplained ouster of Li Sangfu.

General Zhang Yuxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, said he was concerned about the influence of “some countries” on the rest of the world, making a veiled reference to the US.

“In the world today hot spots follow one another. The pain of war, chaos and unrest as well as the loss of human life is constantly present,” the general pointed out.

“Some countries, fearing that the world will be able to stabilize, deliberately create problems, get involved in regional issues, interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and incite color revolutions,” he estimated.

“To serve their own selfish interests, they put nails everywhere. They create many artificial geopolitical conflicts, then claim to be impartial while actually favoring one side, which makes regional situations complicated and unresolved,” he complained.

“In the corridors they are handing out knives and do not hesitate to start wars, ensuring that they themselves benefit from the chaos,” General Zhang concluded.

However, he argued that Beijing wants to improve its military ties with Washington.

“We will deepen strategic cooperation and coordination with Russia, and we are willing — based on the values ​​of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation — to develop military ties with the US,” he pointed out.

“Disastrous consequences”

For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu blamed the US that they wish to cause instability in Asia.

“After causing an acute crisis in Europe, the West is trying to expand the possibility of a crisis in the Asia-Pacific region”, he assessed.

“The Western line of continued escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military conflict between nuclear powers, which would have devastating consequences,” Shoigu complained, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency.

The Russian minister accused the West of seeking to provoke “the strategic defeat” of Russia in a “hybrid war”, while praising the model of Russian-Chinese relations as “exemplary”.

China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is trying to portray itself as a neutral side to the conflict, while providing Moscow with diplomatic and financial aid.

A delegation of the US Department of Defense led by Cynthia Karas, head of the office for China, took part in the forum.

It is currently unclear whether the US delegation will meet separately with Chinese officials.