Chinese President Xi Jinping announced procedures to admit Iran as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), two days after the announcement of the AUKUS partnership. “Acting from a so-called ‘position of strength’ is not the way to handle international affairs, and hegemonic, domineering, and bullying acts should be firmly rejected,” Xi said Friday, adding that China would also admit Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar as new dialogue partners. (The Logic)

Talking point: The AUKUS alliance, which aims to share information on ​​AI, cybersecurity and other defence-equipment fields, comes as tensions rise between the U.S. and China and after an unfruitful call between Xi and Biden earlier this month. China isn’t the only nation that’s taken issue with AUKUS’s formation. France called it a betrayal of its trust, as the agreement replaces a longstanding submarine contract it had with Australia. Meanwhile, Ottawa was not aware of the trilateral alliance until Wednesday when it was officially announced, according to The Globe and Mail. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has downplayed the importance of the arrangement.