Group politics will lead only to wars, warns Chinese president

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday said “group politics”, “bloc confrontation” and military alliances will lead only to “wars and conflicts”, urging the international community to oppose hegemonic practices in what appeared to be a veiled criticism of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), which Beijing has long accused of provoking Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

“The tragedies of the past tell us that hegemony, group politics and bloc confrontation bring no peace or security; they only lead to wars and conflicts,” Xi said.

Xi appeared to use his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Brics business forum on Wednesday to reiterate China’s criticism of Nato and support for Russia – without directly mentioning either. China has refused to publicly condemn Moscow for invading Ukraine or call it an invasion since the beginning of the war.