China's Dong Jun Urges Stronger Global Security Governance at Xiangshan Forum

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun delivered a keynote address on Wednesday at the opening of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a China-initiated security platform that has come to be seen as a counterpart to the Shangri-La Dialogue held annually in Singapore.

Dong arrived at the venue alongside Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamdoeddin before taking the podium. The forum this year drew defence ministers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, according to the organisers. The theme displayed at the gathering was "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together."

In his remarks, Dong said global governance had reached a critical juncture where failure to move forward amounted to falling behind, describing international security as being at a vulnerable moment. He called for stronger global security governance in response to what he characterised as mounting challenges.

The defence minister urged vigilance against what he described as latent forms of hegemonism, militarism and historical revisionism, saying such forces should never be tolerated or indulged. He called for rallying a broad coalition of forces for justice to prevent "the remnants of history" from resurfacing, gaining momentum and becoming a threat. The remarks were widely read as a veiled reference to Japan amid tensions over Taiwan.

Dong also stressed the importance of promptly assessing and defusing risks, warning that minor disagreements should not be allowed to escalate into major disputes or small frictions into serious conflicts. He said provocative acts that seek to hold the collective interests of regional countries hostage for selfish or bloc interests must not be tolerated.

The forum convenes amid continuing tensions over Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea, as well as uncertainty over the future of United States security commitments in Asia.