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China’s defence chief Dong Jun backs South Africa against ‘bullying’ amid US tensions
Solidarity pledge to South African general comes after Washington’s controversial move to fast-track asylum for 59 white Afrikaners
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Beijing is ready to work with South Africa to oppose global “hegemony and bullying”, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said on Tuesday, amid growing tensions between Pretoria and Washington over South Africa’s ties to Russia and controversial US asylum policies.
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The remarks came during a meeting in Beijing with General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force, according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of National Defence.
It was Dong’s first public appearance since he skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – Asia’s top security summit – in late May. China instead sent a lower-level academic delegation, sparking speculation about Beijing’s current stance towards multilateral security platforms amid complex US-China relations.
Dong on Tuesday stressed historical links that were rooted in China’s support for the African National Congress during apartheid.
“China and South Africa forged a special bond of comradeship and brotherhood through historical struggles,” Dong said. “We are willing to work together to uphold true multilateralism and jointly oppose hegemony and bullying, power politics, and bloc division and confrontation.”
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Beijing is promoting its Global Security Initiative as an alternative approach that prioritises dialogue over confrontation, partnerships over alliances and mutually beneficial outcomes over zero-sum competition.
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