BEIJING, September 12. /TASS/. The Beijing Xiangshan Forum will open in the Chinese capital on Thursday under the slogan ‘Promoting Peace for a Shared Future.’
According to spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the event will bring together a record-high number of participants this year.
Organizers said that delegations from more than 90 countries and international organizations will take part in the 11th edition of the annual forum, to run through September 14.
The Russian delegation will be among them. Last year, the Russian delegation was led by then Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
This year’s lists of participants indicate that Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will head the Russian delegation. He will be accompanied by officials from the ministry’s Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation.
Belarus and Kazakhstan will be represented at the level of defense ministers - Viktor Khrenin and Ruslan Zhaksylykov, respectively. Other countries that will send their defense ministers to the event are Armenia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mongolia, Republic of the Congo, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Chile, Ecuador, South Africa.
The United States will be represented by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase, who is in charge of China (including Taiwan) and Mongolia.
The event will include four plenary sessions, focusing on topics such as the role of Global South countries in international security; improving international security mechanisms; maintaining peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region; and achieving a balanced and orderly multipolar world.
Eight themed sessions will cover a range of topics such as regional hotspots, emerging technologies, arms control, humanitarian issues, and more. Additionally, there will be special activities including leading experts’ dialogue, and closed-door seminars.
The Beijing Xiangshan Forum has been held annually since 2006. It is organized by the China Association of Military Science (CAMS) and the China Institute of International Strategic Studies (CIISS). Its main principles are equality, openness, tolerance and sharing of experience.