China’s security concept in focus at key forum

Editor’s Note:

The 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum kicked off on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory message was read out at the opening ceremony, highlighting the new concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security amid the growing security challenges facing the world. This was followed by an address by Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who laid out the Chinese military’s standpoint on a variety of key issues. What message does China want to convey? Global Times reporter Sun Xiaobo talked with three experts from within and outside China attending the forum, about their views. President Xi’s congratulatory message has set the tone that China hopes to enhance strategic mutual trust and security cooperation with other countries.

The new concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security proposed by China suggests that countries deepen their consensus on the basis of their exchanges and resolve differences in an open, consultative, equal and inclusive manner in a concerted effort to build a community with shared future for mankind. This provides a clear strategic guidance for our exploration on international governance and common prosperity.

Wei’s address has reiterated China’s determination to pursue a path of peaceful development and clarified the position of the Chinese military over key questions like Taiwan. He severely criticized the US rhetoric that hypes up the China threat and undermines Sino-US relations, and stated the bottom line of Chinese military policy over the US attempt to meddle in the Taiwan question.

Chinese military will defend our core interests by all means and will not allow any country to use Taiwan as a leverage against China. for regional partners and across the region.

Generally, the concept is quite fine, especially from the Japanese point of view. We have agreed upon crisis management mechanism and significantly toned down the confrontational voices over maritime management issues. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting China to primarily talk about economic cooperation.

I think such political trust should be the baseline of regional cooperation. In this context, voices from Chinese leaders encouraging bilateral relations are quite welcoming. also declared that the Chinese military would defend Taiwan at any cost. Apart from that, the congratulatory message by Xi and the speech by Wei took a neutral tone and showed much restraint, with the intention of not drawing US ire.

Wei has clarified the stance of the Chinese military. He emphasized China’s pursuit of a new type of relations, which echoes the theme of this year’s forum – building a new type of security partnership of equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation. Once there is reliable military trust between two countries, other fields will see improvement.

China has sent a message to the US to improve bilateral relations, and it now depends on how Washington responds.

Perhaps the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires summit in late November can be an opportunity for the leaders of China and the US to meet.