BEIJING: A high-ranking Chinese military official accused unspecified countries of intentionally fomenting turmoil, during the opening of the international defence conference in Beijing on Monday.
The Xiangshan Forum, which has drawn representatives from 90 countries, is a gathering of military and diplomatic leaders, positioned as China’s response to the annual Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is among the prominent attendees at the conference.
Notably, China is hosting the forum without a sitting defence chief, following the unexpected dismissal of Minister Li Shangfu last week, without an official explanation provided.
Zhang Youxia, one of China’s most senior military officials, refrained from naming the specific countries that he accused of creating turmoil. Nonetheless, Beijing has consistently criticized the United States for its positions concerning Russia’s Ukraine invasion and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Zhang emphasized the prevalence of global hotspot issues and the ongoing suffering due to war, chaos, and loss of life. He contended that some nations deliberately engineer turmoil, interfere in regional matters, meddle in other countries’ internal affairs, and incite “colour revolutions.” He suggested that these countries act in their own self-interest, perpetuating geopolitical conflicts while publicly endorsing impartiality. This, he argued, makes regional situations complex and intractable.
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He concluded with a stark assertion that these countries are indirectly responsible for instigating conflicts, leading to chaos from which they stand to gain.
Following Zhang’s speech, Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, spoke, cautioning that Washington is attempting to provoke instability in Asia. Shoigu contended that, following the acute crisis in Europe, the West is actively working to amplify the potential for crises in the Asia Pacific region. He further warned that the direct involvement of nuclear-armed countries escalates strategic risks and pointed out the potential catastrophic consequences of the West’s approach to escalating tensions with Russia.
China’s position on these issues is particularly interesting given its deepening economic, diplomatic, and military cooperation with Moscow, despite its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Xiangshan Forum continues, with global observers closely watching the ensuing diplomatic and geopolitical developments.
