The 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum covered all aspects of the Global Security Initiative, with official representatives and scholars from China and foreign countr

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict has dragged the Israeli-Palestinian issue back to center stage in the Middle East. While China played a positive role in getting Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table, the violence in Gaza could influence the election prospects of U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

A stalemate on the Ukraine battlefield has settled in, and the U.S. is adjusting its strategy. The new idea is to preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity while perfecting its war capacity. Instead, it should be isolating Russia politically and economically.

One should not answer the question through the lens of the China-U.S. rivalry. The two have many shared objectives, and from both a moral and national interest perspective, the conflict is a losing proposition — a disaster not only for the people of the Middle East but for all mankind.

The United States has stayed focused on the South China Sea even as it deals with major international crises. In fact, it has intensified its maritime military activity and and even enlisted partners in the eastern Pacific region to create friction between China and its neighbors. It is playing with fire.

The Indo-Pacific aims to contain China's influence but struggles with unclear membership and diverse objectives. By contrast, the economic region of Pacific Asia, centered on China, emphasizes interdependence, but grapples with political uncertainties due to concerns about overreliance on China. The member states of both have agency and will pursue their own interests, but China’s behavior will likely determine which grouping has the greater strategic salience.

Southeast Asia’s geographic location and burgeoning economy puts them in the center of strategic plans by neighboring China, and rivalling U.S.-interests. The path forward for the region’s states will demand acute political maneuvering.

Indonesia is one of the world’s most populous nations, and is rising in regional and international influence. Taking charge as ASEAN chairman amid a contentious time among member states is Indonesia’s chance to prove its ability to lead Southeast Asia and the world in the coming decades.

Since the end of World War II, the West’s hegemonic power has been synonymous with the NATO alliance. Decades later, the scope of NATO’s cause has expanded far beyond the “North Atlantic,” and is now locking horns with an ascendant China.

Tensions are continuing to escalate in the South China Sea, specifically with the Second Thomas Shoal dispute between the Philippines and China. And in response to China's actions, the Philippines' are shifting towards stronger defense ties with the U.S., including potential joint patrols and resupply missions. If careful diplomacy is not employed, there could be a potential crisis and risk of armed clashes in the South China Sea.