BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Participants at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum hailed the event as a key platform for different parties to engage in dialogue as China seeks to play a constructive role in peacefully settling conflicts amid rising global uncertainty.
Themed "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together," the forum, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, has drawn guests from more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations.
Noting that this year marks the forum's 20th anniversary, Yao Yunzhu, a senior adviser to the forum and retired major general of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said she was pleased to see its growing scale over the past two decades.
Yao stressed that the forum has brought together representatives from different sides, including those at odds with each other. "It allows them to voice their respective views and even engage in heated exchanges while maintaining mutual respect."
Co-hosted by the China Association for Military Science and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum has become a track-one-and-a-half dialogue event, where officials and scholars engage in semi-official talks.
Unlike some global forums that have banned Russian official delegates since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum provides a more inclusive space for military personnel, security scholars and observers from different parties around the world.
The forum hosted eight closed-door seminars covering a wide range of hotspot issues.
Jean Christophe Baron von Pfetten, chairman of the Royal Institute for East West Strategic Studies in Britain, participated in a closed-door seminar last year, where he found that Ukrainian and Russian people sat at the same table.
"It's really remarkable. I cannot solve conflicts, but at least not escalate this conflict," said Baron von Pfetten, who returned to the forum this year.
Not shying away from sensitive topics, the forum seeks to help participants find common ground and facilitate dialogue toward peaceful solutions, rather than fuel tensions and confrontation, said Zheng Hao, a Chinese news commentator who took part in a session as a speaker at the event.
Through such dialogue, participants can gain new insights and perspectives and explore possible solutions to difficult problems, said Oleksandr Chalyi, Ukraine's former first deputy foreign minister.
Baron von Pfetten emphasized that the forum's distinctive strength lies in its broad representation. "It's fantastic that China is organizing something like this, which can not be organized anywhere else."
The forum exemplifies China's approach -- maintaining engagement with all parties, facilitating dialogue, and pursuing political settlement -- as demonstrated in both the Ukraine crisis and the Middle East issue, said Baron von Pfetten.
However, participants cautioned that despite the forum's role in facilitating dialogue and mutual understanding, some problems and disputes in today's world are deeply rooted and cannot be resolved overnight.
"You can bring a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. Whether the horse drinks is up to itself," Carice Witte, founder and executive director of Sino-Israel Global Network and Academic Leadership Group, told Xinhua.
Mutual understanding is the first step toward solving problems, Yao said, adding that such exchanges may not yield immediate results, but the empathy developed over time provides a solid foundation for lasting relationships.
"Dialogue and consultation are the only right way forward," said Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun at the opening ceremony of the forum on Wednesday. He spoke about finding solutions to protracted conflicts and hotspots around the world.
"It may not resolve all issues at once, but with wisdom and patience, things are going to work out," Dong added. ■
