BEIJING, Sept 12 (Askume) – China will launch its biggest annual military diplomacy campaign on Thursday as it seeks to expand its influence in the Southern Hemisphere amid rising tensions around the South China Sea and Taiwan.
More than 90 countries and international organizations will send representatives and scholars to attend the planned Xiangshan Forum in Beijing from September 12 to 14.
Despite being embroiled in several territorial disputes in its regional backyard, Beijing is keen to promote itself as a responsible security actor in international conflicts. The theme of this forum is “Promoting Peace and Building a Shared Future”.
The Philippines and China have accused each other of deliberately ramming coast guard ships in the South China Sea in recent months, while China intruded into Japanese airspace and waters at least twice in August.
Despite objections from the Taipei government, Beijing continues to send warplanes and ships to areas around democratically governed Taiwan, which it considers its territory.
At the same time, Western countries have expressed concern over China’s growing military cooperation with Russia and its ” dangerous actions ” in the South China Sea . In July, China and Belarus conducted joint military exercises a few kilometers from the border with NATO member Poland.
The United States plans to send Michael Chase, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, to attend the forum. Chase’s ranking is higher than that of US officials who attended last year’s meeting, but his rating is in line with historical standards.
Military tensions between China and the United States have stabilised in recent months as regular communication channels reopened after a nearly two-year hiatus, although nuclear talks were halted by Beijing in July.
There were expectations that Chase’s presence could signal deeper working-level engagement with China in the territorial dispute.
Most Western countries send small, low-level delegations, preferring to discuss international security issues at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
One Western participant told Askume that, unlike last year, delegates attending as observers had limited access to the plenary sessions. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The forum includes seminars on Asia-Pacific security, US-China relations and Middle East peace. The Gaza crisis is likely to become a major topic in the talks, while China’s efforts to promote peace and advocate for the Palestinians are likely to be welcomed by some of the Southern Hemisphere delegations, the Western participant said.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is expected to deliver the keynote address at Friday’s opening ceremony. Dong, a former navy chief who was appointed in December following an anti-corruption crackdown on top military officials , lashed out at Taiwanese “separatists” at this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue.
A Western participant told Askume that Dong is responsible for China’s military diplomacy but is not a member of China’s main military decision-making body, the Central Military Commission, and that Western military officials view him as a “senior but powerless envoy who does not participate in power politics.”
Last year’s forum was held without a defense minister as Dong’s predecessor Ri Sang-bok was ousted and under investigation for corruption . Li Keqiang and his predecessor Wei Fenghe were both expelled from the party for corruption in June due to their alleged crimes including accepting bribes .
NATO said it would send senior global partnerships officer Gwendolyn Varmos and a colonel to the forum.
