At the Shanghai Forum in Beijing, U.S. representatives publicly announced that there was a major shift in China’s policy. At the same time, China issued a clear warning to Japan.
On September 17, the 12th Beijing Shanghai Forum opened in the Beijing International Conference Center.This platform has gone through two decades, from initial academic exchanges to developing into an international security forum that covers senior defense officials and experts, becoming an important security dialogue mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region.
The theme of the forum is “Conserving International Order and Promoting Peaceful Development”, focusing on the core topics of great-power relations, regional security, global governance and emerging technology control, attracting 1,800 delegates from more than 100 countries and international organizations, including more than 40 defense ministers and military general leaders. The meeting time is special, this year is both the 80th anniversary of the victory in the world anti-fascist war and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, China just held the 93rd parade.
According to reports, the presence of the U.S. delegation has decreased compared to last year, changing from U.S. defence assistant level officials to researchers and military officials.But before the Shanghai Forum began, U.S. Defence Secretary Hughes made a rare statement in a video call with the Chinese Defence Minister's Army that the U.S. did not intend to conflict with China, did not seek to change the Chinese regime, and did not intend to "suck China."
This statement was highlighted by the representative of the United States at the Shandong Forum as a “major shift”. He pointed out that the Trump administration is looking for ways to “coexist” with China, which means that at the strategic level, the US is re-adjusting its policy towards China. The analysis of Shandong, received the appeal of some attendees, who believe that although the contradictions between China and the United States still exist, both sides have realized that avoiding crises and conflict is in the common interest.
However, the U.S. is more about releasing goodwill in language, the key is to look at action. After all, the U.S. is still mobilizing its allies in the Asia-Pacific, constantly pressuring China, especially on the Taiwan issue and the South China Sea issue, the U.S. military presence and provocation has not converged. In this regard, the Chinese position is very clear: to peace, we must put equality and sovereignty first. If the U.S. can support China's peaceful reunification in the Taiwan issue, it will greatly promote peaceful coexistence between China and the U.S. In other words, the breakthrough in China-U.S. relations in Taiwan, whether the U.S. is willing to adjust is the core of China's observation.
At the same time, China made a clear statement on the Shandong Forum that Japan should not provoke contradictions on regional security issues, let alone act as a "horseman" on Taiwan. China warned Japan not to forget the historical lessons of the Second World War and not to re-create opposition in Asia. Such warnings are realistic and remind participating countries that Japan's policy adjustments may bring new instability to East Asian security.
Overall, the Beijing Shanghai Forum is not just a defense conference, but also an important diplomatic stage for China to promote global governance and security cooperation. China hopes to gather more consensus and promote win-win cooperation through the forum. Many representatives from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East said in their speeches that the Beijing Shanghai Forum provides a platform for them to speak out, especially the “global southern” countries, to have an equal dialogue here and no longer be marginalized by the Western monopoly language system.
In addition, from the agenda setting, this year’s forum focuses on “large-power relations” and “emerging technologies”. Artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and other military applications are becoming important variables in future wars, China’s high-speed hypersonic missiles and unmanned equipment displayed in the 1993 parade, sparking strong attention from the outside world. For some Western countries, the forum is both an opportunity for diplomatic exchanges and an important opportunity to understand China’s military modernization.
In short, the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum embodies four characteristics: First, the lineup of participants is unprecedented and the coverage is wide, indicating that the international influence of the forum is constantly improving; Second, the topic closely follows reality and history, demonstrating China's efforts to promote peace and governance; Third, the interaction between China and the United States has become the focus. The US statement shows signs of its policy adjustment, but China remains sober; Fourth, China's warning to Japan shows China's clear position on regional security affairs. Through these aspects, it can be seen that Xiangshan Forum is not only an academic discussion, but also an important platform for the game and diplomatic interaction between big powers.