Forum expected to pool wisdom for lasting peace

The opening ceremony of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum is held in Beijing on Sept 13, 2024. (Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn)

President Xi Jinping stressed on Friday that China makes relentless efforts to build a world of lasting peace and universal security as it practices the Global Security Initiative, in a congratulatory letter to the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.

In the letter, Xi emphasized that faced with global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century and the expectations of people worldwide for security and stability, China continues to consolidate consensus among all parties, works to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, and improves global security governance.

He expressed hope that the forum will continue to uphold the spirit of equality, openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, while fostering consensus and deepening mutual trust, and further contributing to addressing global security challenges and advancing the building of a human community with a shared future.

This year's forum, themed "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future", has attracted more than 1,800 participants, including official representatives from over 100 countries and international organizations, as well as experts, scholars, and observers from various nations.

In a speech at the forum's opening ceremony on Friday, Defense Minister Dong Jun called for all countries to unite and support each other in exploring a new path to security based on the "greatest common denominator" among all parties rather than the interests of small groups.

He emphasized that in an indivisible security community, nations should enhance security through sharing responsibilities and promoting common development.

Dong pointed out that in the face of changes on a scale unseen in a century, all countries should respect each other, treat each other with sincerity, seek common ground while reserving differences, and embrace openness and inclusiveness.

He called for win-win cooperation and mutual success, and for jointly seeking a path of harmonious coexistence.

Dong stressed that major countries should set an example by taking responsibility for safeguarding the security of all humanity, abandoning zero-sum games, and avoiding bullying the weak.

In addressing regional issues, countries in the region should unite and strengthen themselves to maintain regional peace and security, ensuring that the leadership of regional security remains firmly in their own hands, Dong said, adding that other parties constructively involved in regional affairs should work in tandem with regional countries, upholding fairness and justice.

He noted that when facing turmoil and conflicts, all parties should maintain confidence in political solutions, uphold an objective and fair stance, and adopt a comprehensive approach to address both symptoms and root causes, jointly advocating a multipolar world that is equal and orderly.

Equality advocated

Dong said that in today's world, regardless of whether a country is developed or developing, or large or small, all should participate equally in international affairs, express their concerns equally, and protect their legitimate rights equally.

Amid intense international competition and a complex global landscape, every country increasingly recognizes that maintaining independence and not targeting, depending on, or being controlled by others is essential for making the best choices in their fundamental interests, he said.

The Chinese military is committed to implementing the Global Security Initiative, and it is willing to work with the militaries of other countries to build new types of security partnerships, advance practical and open military cooperation, enhance security governance in emerging fields, and jointly provide guarantees for high-quality development, further contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind and maintaining world peace and security, he added.

Addressing the forum's first plenary session, Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang called for enhanced security cooperation among countries, especially in nontraditional security areas such as terrorism, transnational crime, and cybersecurity.

"These are significant challenges for all countries, regions, and the world, requiring good-faith cooperation to address them together," he said.

He cited a Chinese proverb, "A single thread cannot make a cord, and a single tree does not make a forest", to underscore the importance of unity and cooperation.