China is set to intensify its recent push in strategic diplomacy and power projection as it hosts its annual security forum this week amidst heightened regional tensions.
Foreign diplomats and security experts expect Chinese officials to use the Beijing Xiangshan Forum to promote President Xi Jinping’s vision of the international order, unveiled earlier this month, which calls for unity against “hegemonism and power politics” – a clear swipe at the United States.
According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, around 1,800 participants from 100 countries – including government officials, military figures, and academics – will take part in the three-day forum opening on Wednesday.
For many foreign delegates, particularly from Western and neighbouring states, the gathering offers a rare opportunity to gain insights into China’s military modernisation and the workings of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest armed force.
James Char, a security scholar at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, noted: “We can be sure foreign participants at this year’s Xiangshan will try to extract more technical information about some of the weapon systems from their counterparts in the PLA.”
China recently showcased a range of new weaponry at its 3 September military parade, including hypersonic missiles, large underwater drones and a revamped long-range nuclear missile. However, analysts remain uncertain about their operational readiness and battlefield effectiveness.
The PLA has also undergone a turbulent period, with more than a dozen senior generals – many of them once close to Xi – purged in the past two years. Diplomats say the forum provides an opportunity to better understand the command dynamics inside the Central Military Commission, the PLA’s top decision-making body.
This comes at a time of heightened tensions across East Asia, highlighted by sea trials of China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier in the contested South China Sea, alongside U.S. and Japanese drills in Okinawa involving the Typhon anti-ship missile system.
Despite the scale of the forum, Western and allied militaries are sending only lower-level representatives, continuing to prioritise the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore as the region’s premier informal security gathering. The Pentagon confirmed that Washington would be represented by the defence attaché from its Beijing embassy, a step down from last year’s deputy assistant secretary of defence.
Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin will both be present, while South Korea will send a delegate from its state-run National Defense University. China’s Defence Ministry has confirmed delegations from Russia, France, Brazil, Nigeria, Singapore and Vietnam.
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predic...
India has not made any statement on halting purchases of Russian oil despite claims by US President Donald Trump that such a step was part of a new tr...
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into t...
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated m...
Air China has announced that it will operate around 70,000 flights during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, as China prepares for another surge of...
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predictability and limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, political analyst Gregory Mathieu warned.
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated military responses by Europe and the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Air China has announced that it will operate around 70,000 flights during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush, as China prepares for another surge of holiday travel during its most important annual celebration.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
A daylight robbery at a jewellery shop in Richmond, one of London’s most affluent and traditionally quiet districts, has heightened security concerns among residents and local businesses.
The imminent expiry of New START, the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, risks removing transparency, predictability and limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, political analyst Gregory Mathieu warned.
India has not made any statement on halting purchases of Russian oil despite claims by US President Donald Trump that such a step was part of a new trade accord with Washington, the Kremlin said on Tuesday (3 February).
Paris prosecutors have summoned X chairman Elon Musk and former chief executive Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April as part of their probe into the X social media network, they said on Tuesday.
Ukraine has agreed with Western partners on a plan under which repeated Russian violations of any future ceasefire would trigger swift, co-ordinated military responses by Europe and the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
Emergency teams in eastern China are racing to locate survivors after a bridge under construction collapsed in Jiangsu province, leaving two people dead and three missing.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment