PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, Saturday 22 November 2014 – The fifth Xiangshan Forum concluded last Saturday after focusing on the prospects of regional security architecture in addressing the evolving security challenges in the Asia Pacific as well as looking into strengthening cooperation in maritime security and countering terrorism.
The three-day forum opened with a keynote address by General Chang Wanquan, State Councilor, Minister of National Defense, China who shared the three point proposal for the maintenance of peace in the region. It also featured other prominent speakers including H.E. Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Defence Minister of Malaysia, H.E. Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence Singapore as well as Defence Ministers from Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Tajikistan and Maldives. Also present in the forum were Chiefs of Defence Forces, senior defence and military officials as well as renowned experts and academics in the field of defence and security.
Brunei Darussalam’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Dato Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, presented in the session on Regional Maritime Security: Cooperation and Challenges. He underscored the importance of inter-state relations and the establishment of friendship and cooperation in a globalised world. He further added that the policy of cooperative defence and diplomacy has been an important dimension in regional and international relations as both have a common objective of reinforcing the fundamental notion and principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, while upholding peace, security and stability. The value of cooperation in defence diplomacy and defence cooperation lies in its actual practice of conflict prevention and collaborative efforts in dealing with non-traditional security issues.
Given the importance of the Asia-Pacific maritime area, the safety and security of sea lines of communications is crucial. The Deputy Minister reiterated Brunei’s recognition of the importance of promoting stability and cooperation in the maritime area through the establishment of direct communications and etiquettes or protocols for unplanned encounters at sea to help reduce tension and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. In this regard, practical cooperation through the ADMM Plus and informal meeting between ASEAN-China Defence Ministers is pivotal in driving forward the priority are of maritime security cooperation.
The Xiangshan Forum established in 2006 is held biennially and organised by the Chinese Association for Military Science (CAMS) and serves as a platform for discussions among Track 2 defence scholars and experts in the Asia-Pacific region. In recognising the changing security environment in the Asia-Pacific, this year, the forum is elevated into Track 1.5 bringing together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence Forces and other senior defence and military officials to discuss regional defence and security issues.