Chinese military on youth offensive at security forum
- Next generation of leaders of armed forces given Xiangshan platform to air their views
- But new perspectives from China are few and far between, according to one delegate
China is seeking to influence the next generation of the world’s leaders by giving young officers a platform at the country’s leading regional security forum.
At the opening of a seminar for young officers and scholars at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Sunday, Senior Colonel Zhao Xiaozhuo said that China wanted to give young officers a way to have their voices heard.
“Although some of the participants [at the forum] are young, they have made substantial achievements academically,” Zhao said.
“They may be young today but they will be senior positions 10 years from now and become decision-makers or influential experts in their specialist fields. And perhaps in 20 or 30 years … today’s experience will help them to make the ‘right decisions’.”
The People’s Liberation Army launched the forum in 2006 as China’s alternative to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
The forum is now an annual event, attracting specialists and officers from militaries around the world.