BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on Russia and other members of a regional grouping to support each other in preventing foreign powers from instigating “colour revolutions” – popular uprisings that have shaken former Communist nations – in their countries.

Speaking in Uzbekistan at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a security grouping led by China and Russia, Xi said member countries should support the efforts each other have made to safeguard their own security and development interests.

Xi did not mention Ukraine, which Russia invaded in February in what Russian President Vladimir calls a “special military operation” to protect Russian speakers from “genocide” by Ukraine’s government, a claim rejected by Ukraine.

He also said that China will train 2,000 law enforcement personnel from member countries over the next five years and set up a training base focusing on anti-terrorism work.

He invited member countries to sign up to China’s Global Security Initiative, a concept he proposed in April which includes the idea that no country should strengthen its own security at the expense of others.

China will provide 1.5 billion yuan ($214 million) worth of grain and other emergency aid to developing countries, Xi said, adding that the Chinese economy is resilient and “full of potential”.

China’s economy narrowly escaped a contraction in the April-to-June quarter, hobbled by COVID-19 lockdowns of cities, a deepening downturn in the property market and persistently soft consumer spending.

($1 = 7.0133 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Reporting by Yew Lun Tian and Ryan Woo; Editing by Hugh Lawson