The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum will be held from September 17 to 19 in Beijing. Illustration: VCG

Defense departments and military leaders from over 100 countries including Russia, the US, France, and Germany, as well as representatives of international and regional organizations, have confirmed their attendance of the upcoming 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Wu Jiangang, a member of the preparatory work committee for the forum, told a press briefing on Thursday. 

The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum will be held from September 17 to 19 in Beijing. Wu said on Thursday that the forum will feature four plenary sessions and eight parallel panel discussions, focusing on topics such as building a fair and reasonable global security governance system, the trajectory of major-power relations, and the current state and future of arms control.

Wu noted that this year's participants include representatives from developed nations, emerging powers, small and medium-sized countries, as well as conflict-affected regions. Compared with previous years, the number of former senior political and military dignitaries and prominent experts has risen significantly, making the forum more diverse, representative, and balanced, and fully reflecting its openness and inclusiveness.

Wu said that as China's defense technology gains international influence, many foreign officials have shown interest in related exhibitions. To promote mutual understanding, participants will also visit the 2025 International Dual-Use Advanced Technology & Equipment Expo.

The Beijing Xiangshan Forum has gained growing international influence in recent years, with great-power relations and regional hotspots high on the agenda, Cao Yanzhong, a research fellow at the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), told the Global Times on Thursday. 

China-US relations have always drawn media attention. Cao noted that there are reports noting that US leaders and Pentagon officials closely followed China's military parade on September 3. 

The US recognizes China's rising strength, and its respect for China's status and national interests as a major power will only grow. In particular, Washington should take more seriously China's call for equal respect, peaceful coexistence, and stable positive relations, said Cao.

In response to analysts' suggestions that topics related to the September 3 parade will feature prominently at the forum, Cao said this year's discussions are aligned with the 80th anniversary of both the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the founding of the United Nations.

"The parade has strengthened global confidence in China, especially among developing countries and the Global South. China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order. The growth of China's military strength will reinforce international confidence and trust in China, and further affirm its capacity to contribute to future global security, politics, and the economy," he noted.