ZHUMADIAN, (China): China wrapped up the country’s first multinational peacekeeping exercise on Wednesday, demonstrating the extent of its military might on a huge training ground ringed by mountains.

China’s defence spending is the second largest in the world after the US, and tensions have dramatically increased between rival powers as Beijing has poured trillions of yuan into the modernisation of its military.

But the country has repeatedly sought to allay fears over its military intentions, projecting itself as a peaceful counterpoint to what it calls the “bullying, hegemonic behaviour” of Washington. Troops from Thailand, Mongolia and Pakistan joined China’s armed forces for the 10-day exercise dubbed “Shared Destiny 2021” at the military base in Queshan county in central Henan province.

Senior Colonel Lu Jianxin told journalists invited to the base that the exercise “demonstrates China’s support for the multilateral system centred on the UN” as Beijing sought to put its defence diplomacy on full display.