BEIJING, Sept 13: Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said Friday that "negotiation" was the only solution to conflicts such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as he addressed a global gathering of military officials in Beijing.
Top military representatives from Russia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Iran and Germany are among more than 500 delegates in Beijing for the Xiangshan Forum, dubbed China's answer to the annual Shangri-La meeting in Singapore.
The three-day forum comes as Beijing increasingly presents itself as a mediator in global conflicts, including by sending envoys to the Middle East, brokering a temporary ceasefire in north Myanmar and last year, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. On Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, China presents itself as a more neutral actor than the United States.
Dong told the opening ceremony: "To resolve hotspot issues such as the crisis in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting peace and negotiation is the only way out."
"There is no winner in war and conflict, and confrontation leads nowhere," Dong said.
"The more acute the conflict, the more we cannot give up dialogue and consultation. The end of any conflict is reconciliation," he added, calling on all countries to promote "peaceful development and inclusive governance". —AFP
