Trust, dialogue highlighted at forum

Experts and officials called for greater trust, dialogue and cooperation amid growing uncertainties in the international environment at the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Tuesday.

Speaking at parallel sessions of the forum, experts from various countries said that the international landscape is experiencing profound changes and multilateral institutions need to adapt in order to remain relevant and effective in addressing emerging challenges.

Carlos Branco, former director of cooperation and regional security at NATO International Military Staff, said the evolution of the United Nations system has been marked by insufficient mutual trust and goodwill.

He pointed to several "loopholes" in the current international system, including unilateral sanctions and tariffs, as well as the use of force outside the framework of international law.

Francisco Cafiero, director of Argentina's Manuel Ugarte Institute of International Affairs and Political Studies, said that the international community needs greater trust and dialogue amid rising uncertainties.

Branco said that the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China provides a new perspective on addressing these problems, highlighting principles that are also fundamental to the UN Charter — the rule of international law, multilateralism and respect for sovereignty.

"This is what the world needs," Branco said. If humanity wants to move forward, rather than fall into global confrontation, and avoid conflicts between major powers, countries need to adhere to these basic principles, he added.

He said that the initiative reflects China's desire to uphold the post-World War II international order, rather than establish a new one.

Cafiero said the initiative aims to provide greater certainty to the world. Regarding growing inequality around the world, he highlighted China's experience in eliminating extreme poverty in 2020, saying that countries of the Global South could learn from China's practices and work together toward the goal of eradicating extreme poverty.

The Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, has brought together nearly 100 official delegations from countries, regions and international organizations. This year's forum is themed "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together".

Yusne bin Hj Mokhtar, chief executive of the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security, called on multilateral institutions to adapt to the evolving international environment in order to remain relevant, responsive and effective in addressing new challenges.

He said that effective multilateralism should be inclusive, rules-based and grounded in international law, while respecting the sovereignty and strategic choices of every country.

"The real value of multilateralism is demonstrated not when we agree on everything, but when countries with different perspectives are still able to manage differences peacefully and cooperate where they are converged," Yusne said.

Equality emphasized

Yukio Hatoyama, former Japanese prime minister and president of the East Asian Community Institute, said equality among countries in the international community should be ensured to realize multilateralism.

"Countries should act according to rules rather than strength, and we must also ensure that all countries have a role in the process," he said.

Experts at the forum also called for new international rules and frameworks to govern emerging fields, particularly artificial intelligence.

Hatoyama said that against the backdrop of the growing use of AI in military operations, "we are witnessing a form of warfare in which the attacker may not even see the blood or the faces of those who are suffering".

He emphasized that the international community needs to establish new regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies and that international treaties should take into account the use of AI.