Why Xiangshan Forum could be ‘useful opportunity’ for US-China military ties

Senior defence officials, including from the Pentagon, will attend the three-day security conference in the Chinese capital

Beijing and Washington are set to restart military talks, but their geopolitical rivalry will likely be a focus at the gathering

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China suspended military communication with the US in August last year. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 28 Oct 2023

Beijing is expected to restart military communication with Washington when it hosts a security forum from Sunday, but analysts say issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea will make it challenging.

The three-day Xiangshan Forum – seen as Beijing’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – has not been held in person for four years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

China’s defence ministry on Thursday said it was expecting bigger numbers at the forum, and more senior officials, than in previous years.

“In particular, there is a big increase in representation from developing countries and international and regional organisations,” said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a ministry spokesman. “We hope to see broader and more in-depth discussions … and a greater intelligent contribution to world peace and stability.”

The Pentagon has confirmed it will send a delegation led by Xanthi Carras, principal director in the office of the deputy assistant secretary of defence for China, Taiwan and Mongolia. Carras is not as senior as the defence officials the US has previously sent to the forum but it is the first Pentagon delegation to travel to China since 2019.

Beijing hosted the last in-person Xiangshan Forum in 2019. Photo: Reuters

China suspended military communication channels with the US in August last year after then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to bring under mainland control, by force if necessary.