BEIJING — China’s military leadership is expected to outline its global security aims this week as Defence Minister Dong Jun opens the three-day Xiangshan Forum amid tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and doubts about U.S. commitments in Asia, Reuters reported Monday.
Hundreds of officers, diplomats, and scholars from dozens of countries are expected at the tightly scripted Beijing gathering, often cast as a Chinese counterpart to Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue. Dong’s speech is expected to push multipolar cooperation and may include coded criticism of the United States and its allies.
Analysts say overt U.S. criticism could be tempered ahead of President Xi Jinping’s planned Washington meeting with President Donald Trump later this month. Japan may face sharper rhetoric given current Beijing–Tokyo tensions, Singapore-based scholar James Char said.
Vietnam is sending Defence Minister Phan Van Giang; Malaysia’s vice defence minister will attend. The U.S. delegation is expected to be led by the Pentagon’s principal director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. Taiwan does not attend the forum.
Sources: Reuters
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