Xiangshan forum covered non-traditional areas, including space security
Security is no longer limited to borders and armies. New technologies and shared spaces — outer space, oceans, the digital environment — require new thinking and broad dialogue. That is why discussions on the margins of major forums are becoming increasingly diverse and deep.
As one expert noted, discussions at the parallel sessions of the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum held on Wednesday went beyond long-standing traditional issues and touched on new, promising topics such as security in outer space. The forum, held this year under the theme "Building Consensus on Stability, Jointly Developing Security Governance," opened on Tuesday and will run until Thursday, bringing together experts and scholars from about 100 countries and international organisations.
Eight parallel sessions started simultaneously in the afternoon, and their topics varied significantly: some were devoted to long-standing structural security contradictions plaguing the world, while others closely examined new factors such as outer space and new technologies. Many topics that are usually difficult to discuss in detail at plenary sessions could be more fully explored in additional venues. Speaking at the parallel sessions, prominent experts shared their views on international relations, regional peace and issues related to new technologies.
"We used to discuss mainly traditional security issues, but now they have expanded to non-traditional areas. Military applications of AI, AI security issues and outer space security issues are all new, promising topics. These traditional and non-traditional issues are combined, so the significance of the forum is growing," said Luo Yuan, senior adviser to the forum.
During the discussions at these sessions, special attention was paid to topics such as maritime channel security and maritime security governance, Asian approaches to security issues, the trend towards multipolarity and the international order. Forum participants held a pragmatic exchange of views at different levels and in different aspects. "I am very concerned about the situation in the straits and freedom of navigation, so I will follow the various topics and discussions taking place here. It is very interesting. I think this is a huge problem for the whole world," said Ricardo Allende, former deputy minister of defence of Chile.
This year the forum marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which was founded in 2006 as a kind of "second track" for exchange of experience between analytical centres.
As reported by CCTV+, the Xiangshan forum confirmed that the security agenda is becoming broader, and discussions at parallel sessions allow for a deeper examination of topics that are difficult to discuss at plenary sessions.
