Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the West at the opening of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, which Beijing seeks to use to push its position to the forefront of regional relations.

Xi called for a justice-based global order, saying, “We must promote a correct historical perspective on World War II, and oppose the Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and bullying practices” pursued by some countries, a veiled reference to the United States. The summit began on Sunday, just days before a massive military parade in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Putin, for his part, used his speech to defend Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, holding the West accountable for igniting the war that has killed tens of thousands and devastated much of eastern Ukraine. He said, “This crisis was not triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West,” adding, “The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO.” (AFP)