China plays its part in ensuring regional stability

Global attention is likely to stay on Beijing even after the APEC meetings next week, as an important security forum is also being hosted by the city later this month.

The fifth Xiangshan Forum, which is scheduled to be held in Beijing from Nov 20 to 22, presents a rare opportunity for defense chiefs and military experts to exchange views and build consensuses on major security issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the previously biennial event organized by the China Association for Military Science, will be held annually from this year on, and the purely academic event in the past will be elevated to a high-end security and defense forum with higher official status.

Defense and military officials from around the Asia-Pacific, representatives from international organizations, former military and political leaders and renowned defense scholars will discuss regional security, maritime security and anti-terrorism cooperation under the theme of "win-win cooperation in Asia for a community of shared destiny".

The recalibration of the Xiangshan Forum is another sign of China's renewed efforts to promote regional security cooperation in the light of the changing security environment in the Asia-Pacific. As a country that the rest of the world increasingly counts upon to be an important force for maintaining world peace and stability, China is willing to play a bigger role in pushing for meaningful dialogue as well as multilateral security cooperation in the region.

Compared to other parts of the world, the Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed decades of peace and stability, and its dynamic economy has played a significant role in helping the world withstand the effects of the global financial crisis.

Yet, there is no denying the fact that the region faces both traditional and non-traditional security threats. In this regard, the US' pivot to Asia strategy has played a dishonorable role.