US expert's 20-year front-row seat to Beijing Xiangshan Forum's rise

David Finkelstein, a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses of the United States, shared his reflections on nearly two decades of participation in the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in a recent video posted on the forum's official X account (@XiangshanForum).

Finkelstein has been a regular participant in the forum since its inception in 2006, missing only two editions. He said the Beijing Xiangshan Forum has been one of the highlights of his annual conference schedule and that he looks forward to returning to Beijing for this year's event.

Over the past 20 years, Finkelstein said he has witnessed the forum grow from a small gathering of scholars into a major international event.

For Finkelstein, one of the most important things he has gained from the forum is the opportunity to interact with scholars from around the world. Participants from Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North America can gather to discuss pressing issues of the day at the forum, which gives him a valuable opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues and longtime friends in China, he said.

Finkelstein said he looks forward to returning to Beijing this autumn and seeing friends from China and around the world.