Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, applauds near Steve Koehler, right, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Alexander Moiseyev, second from left, Russia's chief of Navy, looks after a group photo before attending the Western Pacific Navy Symposium in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong province on Monday, April 22, 2024. Zhang, China's second-ranking military leader under Xi Jinping, took a harsh line on regional territorial disputes on Monday, telling the international naval gathering in northeastern China that the country would strike back with force if its interests came under threat. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)