Upcoming Beijing forum to focus on global security concerns

As of Tuesday, more than 500 representatives from over 90 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation in the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, the organizers said on Wednesday.

The organizers also said that this year's forum will focus on global security concerns, encouraging relevant parties to engage in in-depth exchanges and equal consultations, advocating for a new path of security featuring dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win rather than zero-sum outcomes.

Wu Jiangang, an official of the high-level security forum's organizing committee, said at a media briefing in Beijing that the attending officials include more than 30 defense ministers and chiefs of staff, as well as over 200 experts and scholars from China and abroad.

In addition, the participants also include leaders and representatives from international and regional organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union, he said.

This year's forum has achieved new breakthroughs in terms of the level, scale and representativeness of the participants, said Wu.

Participants attend the opening ceremony of the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China, Oct 30, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

The forum, hosted by the China Association for Military Science and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, will be held in Beijing from Sept 12 to 14.

The theme of this year's forum is Promoting Peace for a Shared Future. It will feature four plenary sessions and eight parallel group sessions, focusing on topics such as security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, multipolarity and the international order, the Global South, and global security governance, according to the forum's official website.

Additionally, a series of special academic activities will be held during the forum, including seminars involving senior experts and scholars from home and abroad, as well as dialogues between young military officers and scholars from China and other countries.

While continuing to provide a platform of equal dialogue for developing countries and small- and medium-sized countries, this year's forum will also further expand the participation of developed countries from Europe and North America, as well as emerging powers.

By Jiang Chenglong for China Daily