The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum commenced from September 17 to 19, 2025. The theme of the forum was ‘upholding international order and promoting peaceful development.” The forum provides opportunity for dialogue and consultation processes to resolve the conflicts. During the three days, there were four plenary sessions focussing on international order, security, equitable governance, etc.

▲The Venue for the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China, September 17, 2025. /CFP

Besides, there were many sessions, in which experts debated the emerging technologies merits and demerits for the humanity, arms control and disarmament, regional securities especially Asia-pacific, Middle East, Ukraine, etc. interestingly, the Palestinians and Israelis shared the same table while discussion the war in Gaza , similarly Russian and Ukrainian delegates shared the same podium.

Indeed, it was a good opportunity for the conflicting parties to exchange views at the neutral forum. Being a speaker in one of the sessions; titled: The current situation and future of arms control, I found everyone was allowed to speak his own mind.

The emphasis was on the emerging technologies impact on the nuclear armed states relations. The speakers belongs to Russia, China, United States, Pakistan, etc. It was highlighted that four-day skirmishes between India and Pakistan was alarming for the international community due to the risks of escalation of the conflict involving exchange of nuclear strikes.

It was recommended that both states must start dialogue process and initiate nuclear confidence building measures to prevent the escalation of the conflict and prevent strategic instability in South Asia. It was pointed out that the emerging technologies could destabilise the deterrence stability entailing to strategic instability in South Asia.

On September 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the “SCO Plus” Meeting in Tianjin, China. In February 2023, President Xi announced Global Security Initiative (GSI). These initiatives spirits were shared and debated by the speakers.

It was noted that peace and security is the responsibility of states and it’s the responsibility of states to build peace and ensure prosperity of the people. The participants appreciated the organisers of Xiangshan forum for providing opportunity to deliberate on contemporary trends in the international politics, dynamics of multipolarity and need for upholding multilateralism.

The scholars noted that President Xi’s GSI and GGI are important initiatives for addressing both traditional and non traditional challenges to the humanity. Many speakers including the ministers speaking at the plenary session underscored the significance of the shared future of humanity. They gave their countries perspectives on sustainable development.  

The delegates of the forum endorsed and appreciated Chinese endeavours to ensure equal rights of all countries and to provide an institutionalized platform for wider participation in global governance, especially for developing nations. Indeed, peaceful and prosper world requires the upholding of rules based international order grounded on the United Nations Charter. 

The participants also highlighted that climate challenge cannot be addressed alone. We need to work together to resolve the climate challenges.

Notably, many Indian scholars participated in the dialogue but there was no separate session for India and Pakistan as they arranged closed door seminars on Ukraine crisis and on the security trends in Middle East.  

The article was first published at RCAS, Hong Kong, Sep.27, 2025, http://www.rcas.top/Commentary/322.html.