On September 14th, the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum concluded. The three-day forum, themed “Jointly Building Peace and Sharing the Future,” featured in-depth discussions and exchanges on current hot topics such as European security, the Middle East situation, Asia-Pacific disputes, and China-US relations. More than 1,800 guests attended the event, including official representatives, experts, scholars, and observers from over 100 countries and international organizations. The focus of the forum centered on European security and China-US relations.

The forum received overall positive comments for contributing peace. NewsAsia reported that the influence of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum has significantly increased, reaching new heights in terms of both scale and level. Reuters noted that the US sent a higher-ranking delegation compared to last year, with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Affairs Michael Chase attending, signaling that the US military might seek for deeper engagement with China at the working level. Speaking on how to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, former Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Chalyi said that China has made efforts to help restore European security. He added, “Now all of us in Ukraine are waiting for some contacts, direct contacts between President Zelenskiy and President Xi.” US representative and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia also emphasized in an interview that “Dialogue does not necessarily lead to solutions, but without dialogue, there are clearly no solutions, so maintaining dialogue is crucial.”

The range of topics covered in this year’s Beijing Xiangshan Forum was broad. In addition to key issues like China-US relations, the Middle East situation, and Asia-Pacific security, forward-looking topics such as artificial intelligence security and space security governance were also discussed. In terms of the European Security Sessions, representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and NATO engaged in rare direct dialogue as they are currently engaged in ongoing wars. The Ukrainian delegation also explicitly expressed hope that China would participate in mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, China had adopted a strategic ambiguity stance on the conflict, a position that had been criticized by the west. However, after successfully brokering the reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March of last year, following Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s visit to China in July, Ukraine again expressed a positive attitude at this forum. They welcomed and anticipated China’s participation in the “Second Ukraine Peace Summit” to be held later this year. This demonstrates China’s growing recognition and influence in the international community, positioning it as a key decision-maker capable of mediating violent conflicts and facilitating peace negotiations, and offering hope for further peace talks.

In the highly discussed aspect of China-US military communication, both sides showed positive attitudes. The Chinese representative, former Vice President of the Academy of Military Sciences He Lei, gifted Sbragia with a traditional calligraphy scroll written “Harmony is Precious,” conveying China’s willingness to work towards maintaining bilateral relations. While communication may not fully align the two sides’ perspectives, it still effectively fosters understanding, mitigates differences to some extent, and prevents China-US competition from escalating into direct conflict.

The freeze in China-US military relations dates back to August 2022, when former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan despite Beijing’s stern warnings. In response, the Chinese military halted all high-level exchanges and communication with the US forces. Subsequent events in 2023, such as multiple military drills around Taiwan, the “balloon incident,” as well as interceptions against US surveillance aircrafts in the South China Sea, further reduced direct contact of military officials between the two countries to a standstill. It was not until the meeting between Biden and Xi at APEC 2023, which marked the first icebreaking in the China-U.S. military exchange, that communication through multiple channels was gradually restored.

In this year’s Beijing Xiangshan Forum, whether it was the countries engaging conflict in Eastern Europe, or the tense China-US relations, it is a precious and commendable opportunity to see face-to-face exchanges between high-level defense officials. Although Russia-Ukraine war and China-US frictions continue, even the slightest formal engagement can provide a push to the peace process.