Escalating tensions between China and the US-backed Philippines, whose coast guards have clashed frequently in the past months over disputed reefs in the South China Sea, threatened peace and stability in the region.
Addressing this critical issue, a major highlight of this year’s forum was the presence of various ASEAN countries, with defense ministers, military chiefs and representatives from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.
On September 12, Zhang Youxia, vicechairman of the Central Military Commission, China’s top military body, met separately with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha. Both defense chiefs expressed willingness to uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea.
During his speech, Dong Jun urged regional countries to take their security matters “into their own hands.” “This is an era calling for independence, where the nation’s relentless pursuit of autonomy serves as the key driver for a multipolar world,” Dong said, “In the face of fierce international competition and a complex international situation, every country aspires to keep its destiny firmly in its own hands... and it is only by not taking sides, not relying on others and not being subjected to others that one can truly make decisions that align with their fundamental national interests.”
As for “external parties,” they should get involved in regional affairs in a “constructive” manner to provide “positive energy,” Dong added.
China has long accused the US of emboldening the Philippines and fueling tensions in the South China Sea. From April to September, the US and Philippines conducted several bilateral and multilateral exercises in the area, mainly including Japan, Australia and Canada. From May 19-21, Admiral Stephen Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, visited the Philippines to “reaffirm the steadfast and enduring US-Philippine alliance,” according to the statement of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
Earlier on April 17, the Philippines deployed and anchored one of its largest and most advanced coast guard vessels, the Japanese-built MRRV-9701, to the lagoon of Xianbin Jiao. The coral reef is claimed by both China and the Philippines.
Since then, the reef and the vessel have been at the center of confrontations between both countries’ coast guards, as China thwarted multiple attempts made by the Philippines to resupply the ship. On September 19, in his response to a question about the US Typhon missile system left in the Philippines after the joint exercise, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian described the move as “turning back the wheel of history,” which “gravely threatens regional countries’ security, incites geopolitical confrontation and has aroused heightened vigilance and concerns of the region’s countries.”
Following Dong’s remarks, several ASEAN defense officials addressed the ongoing South China Sea disputes in speeches on the first day of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
Stressing that China had “sought to play a constructive role,” Singaporean Defense Minister Ng said that the South China Sea tensions should be dealt with through dialogue.
Phan Van Giang, defense minister for Vietnam, another major claimant in the South China Sea, has met with Dong Jun on several occasions this year. He stressed the importance of developing cooperative relations based on the principles of equality and self-determination, resolving disputes by peaceful means, respecting international law and not using force.
The Philippines did not send a delegation to the Beijing Xiangshan Forum. But on September 11, just one day before the conference, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong held a meeting with the Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Maria Theresa Lazaro.
According to a statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides had “a candid and in-depth exchange of views” on maritime issues, particularly the Xianbin Jiao issue, on which China reiterated its position and urged the Philippine side to immediately withdraw its vessel.
Then on September 15, Liu Dejun, a China Coast Guard (CCG) spokesperson confirmed that the MRRV-9701 had left the lagoon, temporarily concluding the five-month standoff.
Urging the Philippines to stop its “provocative hype and risky infringement,” Liu said the CCG will “continue to carry out law enforcement activities in the waters under China’s jurisdiction in accordance with the law, resolutely safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”
The US began sending delegations to the Xiangshan Forum in 2014, which is usually led by defense officials ranked deputy or lower. This year, the US delegation was led by Michael Chase, the deputy assistant secretary of defense. On September 15, the US delegation and officials of China’s Ministry of National Defense held the 18th China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks in Beijing.
According to a brief statement released by China’s Defense Ministry, the two sides “engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on the relations between the Chinese and US militaries, the military-to-military exchanges in the next stage, and issues of common concern.”
China suspended military dialogue with the US after the contentious visit of then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in 2022. Only after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met in San Francisco last November did the two sides resume military talks. In January, the two sides held the 17th China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks in Washington, DC. In April, a China-US Military Maritime Consultative Agreement work group meeting took place in Hawaii.
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