China to hold Xiangshan Forum in Beijing amid tensions in Asia
China will hold its annual Xiangshan Forum on defense in Beijing this week amid tensions surrounding Taiwan, the South China Sea and doubts about US security commitments in Asia. As The Korea Herald reports, the three-day event will be opened on Tuesday by Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.
Beijing’s position on security
Dong Jun is expected to present China’s vision of global security and call for closer international cooperation in a multipolar world. Diplomats and analysts suggest that his speech may also contain veiled criticism of the United States and its allies.
According to some Asian diplomats and analysts, Beijing may criticize Washington more cautiously due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to Washington at the end of the month to meet with US President Donald Trump. At the same time, Japan may become a more convenient target for criticism because of the current tensions in relations between Beijing and Tokyo, Singaporean security researcher James Char believes.
Dong Jun’s speech will follow Xi Jinping’s recent statements about the need for greater representation of Global South countries in international affairs. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month, the Chinese leader criticized the dominance of a small number of countries or blocs in global governance.
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Participants and military leadership
Hundreds of military personnel, diplomats and scholars from dozens of countries are expected to take part in the forum, which is described as China’s equivalent of Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue. According to a US official, the US delegation will be led by Cynthia Carras, the Pentagon’s senior director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia.
Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang will represent his country, while Malaysia will be represented by Deputy Defense Minister Adly Zahari. Brookings Institution expert Patricia Kim said that doubts about US security commitments could give Beijing an opportunity to promote the idea of regional defense managed by Asian countries. At the same time, China’s increasingly assertive behavior, particularly in the South China Sea, is causing skepticism among many countries in the region, she added.
Taiwan does not participate in the forum or in most major international events. The event will also take place amid anti-corruption purges in China’s armed forces. Currently, two of the seven positions in China’s Central Military Commission, the highest command body of the People’s Liberation Army, are filled, one of them held by Xi Jinping.
