Chinese Defense Minister calls for “negotiations” to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza Strip

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun said on Friday that "negotiations" are the only solution to conflicts such as the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, speaking at a global gathering of military officials in Beijing, UNN reports citing AFP.

Details

Dozens of delegates are in Beijing for the Xiangshan Forum, billed as China's response to the annual Shangri-La meeting in Singapore. According to state media, over 500 representatives from more than 90 countries and organizations will take part in the three-day forum.

At the opening ceremony, Dun said: "To resolve pressing issues such as the crisis in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the only way out is to promote peace and negotiate.

"In war and conflict, there is no winner, and confrontation leads nowhere," said Dun.

"The more acute the conflict, the more we cannot abandon dialogue and consultations. The end of any conflict is reconciliation," he added, calling on all countries to promote "peaceful development and inclusive governance.

On Friday, more official speeches are expected, and high-ranking officials from Russia, Pakistan, Singapore, Iran, Germany, and other countries will take part in the roundtable talks.

Topics to be discussed at the forum include US-China relations, security in Europe and Asia, and defense issues in a multipolar world.

In his speech, Deng called against the "proliferation of national security concepts" to make sure that "new technologies can bring more benefits to all of humanity" - likely referring to the United States' efforts to block Beijing's access to advanced technologies, the newspaper points out.

"At a time of high global security risks and increased instability and unpredictability, the responsibility to build the defense and security capabilities of all countries is enormous," said Dong.

Beijing, he added, "is ready to work with all parties to strengthen strategic alignment, deepen defense consultations, and discuss the signing of bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation agreements.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase is taking part in the forum just a few days after the top commanders of Washington and Beijing held their first talks.

Washington and Beijing continue to disagree on trade, the status of self-ruled Taiwan, and China's increasingly aggressive approach in disputed maritime regions. But they have tried to resume regular military talks in an effort to prevent disputes over hotspots from spiraling out of control.

A key flashpoint is the South China Sea, where Chinese vessels have been involved in a series of high-profile clashes with Philippine vessels in recent months.

China claims almost the entire economically important reservoir, despite competing claims by other countries and an international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

On Thursday, senior military lieutenant general He Lei told reporters at a forum that China would "break" any foreign invasion of its sovereign territory, particularly in the South China Sea.