China urges joint efforts to address security challenges as int'l forum closes

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun called for joint efforts to address common security challenges as an international security forum concluded on Thursday.

Dong made the remarks during separate meetings in Beijing with defense officials from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mauritania, Gabon and Somalia, who attended the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

Nearly 2,000 official representatives, scholars and observers from more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations gathered from Tuesday to Thursday for the forum.

Dong stressed that in the current interdependent world, the deeper cooperation among countries, the safer the world will be, pledging that the Chinese military is willing to contribute to safeguarding international fairness and justice, as well as global peace and stability.

"We should bear in mind the security and well-being of all humanity, respect one another, and enhance exchanges and mutual learning, while working to make the international security order more just and equitable," he noted.

Themed "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together," this year's forum marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which was launched in 2006 as a "track-two" think-tank exchange.

The participants held in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including the trend toward a multipolar world and the international order, major-country relations and strategic stability, sea lane security and maritime security governance, and risks and regulation surrounding the military application of emerging technologies.

Many participants believed multilateralism, which the forum has emphasized, gives more countries a greater role in shaping security governance while taking broader security concerns into account, aligning with the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by China in 2025.

Carlos Branco, a researcher at Universidade Autonoma in Lisbon and a retired major general of Portugal, said the GGI rests on five principles: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions.

"It shows that China's policy is to uphold the existing international order centered on the UN," Branco told Xinhua.

Senior Colonel Zhang Chi of China's National Defense University said the forum has created opportunities for countries and regions to engage on an equal footing.

"On this platform, representatives can engage in equal dialogue and seek common ground while setting aside differences, helping build an important consensus around stability," Zhang said.

"Given the current international environment, we particularly need to build consensus for stability, as security and stability are the common aspirations of the international community," said Li Shuyin, director of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum Secretariat Office.

The Beijing Xiangshan Forum seeks to resolve differences and promote cooperation through dialogue, Li said, adding that the forum has become an international public security good provided by China and shared by the world, and an important platform for advancing cooperation under the Global Security Initiative.