Navigator Meeting held for 2025 Beijing Xiangshan Forum

(ECNS) -- The opening ceremony of Beijing Xiangshan Forum Navigator Meeting 2025 was held in Beijing, the capital of China, on Tuesday, bringing together over 200 defense officials, experts, scholars and media representatives from more than 30 countries and international organizations.

Chinese Major General Zhang Baoqun, also deputy chief of Office for International Military Cooperation under Ministry of National Defense of China, delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. Major General Chen Xiaoqian, vice president of PLA Academy of Military Sciences and secretary general of Beijing Xiangshan Forum, gave a keynote speech, while Major General Chang Wei, executive secretary general of China Association for Military Science, presided over the meeting.

Themed “Opportunities and Challenges for Global Security,” the meeting was held against the backdrop of the rise of unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism.

With the rise of the Global South and multipolarity process accelerating, the voice of international community calling for peace and development is growing ever stronger.

In his keynote speech, Chen emphasized that the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is committed to building a platform for equal dialogue, fostering an open environment for exchange, and strengthening the bonds of inclusiveness and mutual learning.

By promoting dialogue and cooperation in international security, the forum aims to add stability and constructive momentum into the international community, he added.

To address core concerns and enhance international participation, four in-depth panel discussions are set from Tuesday to Wednesday on the following topics: the trend of defense and military cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, the trend of major power relations after U.S. “super election year,” the role of BRICS in global security governance, and the role of the UN in resolving international security and regional hotspot security issues.

Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a high-level security and defense platform for international exchanges, has grown into a prominent international forum on defense and security.

To further create more opportunities for exchange and cooperation, the forum launched its first navigator meeting this year, combining defense dialogue with academic discussion ahead of the main forum.

The navigator meeting serves to implement the Global Security Initiative and advance the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.