Maintaining peace and stability of Asia and Pacific region is expected by the people of the relevant countries, and it is also the responsbility of the defense andmilitary authorities of all countries. The Xiangshan Forumheld by China is aimed to establish a platform for all parties to discuss the security and cooperation of Asia and Pacific region.We hope that all parties should keep the principle of mutual respect and trust, pursuit for common ground, and cooperation for win-win result. By communicating with each other, coordinating different stances and sharing wisdom, we could pave a new security way for joint building, sharing and winning.

Chang Wanquan, Chinese Defense Minister

Peace is based on dialogue and cooperation, and mutual trust comes from understanding and communication. Upholding principles such as equality, respect, openness and inclusiveness, pursuing an Asian Community of Shared Destiny, the Xiangshan Forumis a high-end dialogue platform to maintain peace and stability of Asia. It is a communication platform to increase mutual trust and to reduce miscalculation for countries. It is also a multilateral platform for defense sectors to expand exchanges and deepen their friendships.We are willing to work together with all parties tomake the Xiangshan Forum better and play amore important role.

Admiral Sun Jianguo, Chairman of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies

Xiangshan is a symbol of peace and tranquility. The forum is named after the mountain to express our willingness for peace and tranquility. The Asian Pacific countries are connected with mountains and rivers and we are all neighbors, so it is our duty and common pursuit to maintain regional stability. Mutual communication and dialogue as well as cooperation is the right path to achieve peaceful development.

Lieutenant General Gao Jin, Chairman of the China Association for Military Science

On the issue of maritime security, I think we should continue to carry out cooperation based on mutual trust and dialogue. We should solve issues in the South China Sea based on the current framework made by China and ASEAN countries such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as well as the ASEAN’s Six Point Principles on the South China Sea. We should continue to carry out bilateral activities to enhance mutual trust, so as to make a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea as soon as possible. By using peaceful measures in accordance with the principles of international law, I think we could eliminate the tensions and ensure peace and security as well as fruitful cooperation. I suggest that we start from the easy things to build trust and confidence.

Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister

The nefarious phenomenon of terrorism cannot be limited to a certain religion or creed or culture or region. Combating terrorism cannot be solved only by an individual effort of one country. It needs regional and international cooperation among all nations of theworld. Damages and risks are facing all of nations; consequently, overcoming such situations should be a common responsibility.

Ambassador Dr Mohamed Noman Galal, former Ambassador of Egypt to China and also amember of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs 

China believes in the United Nations and many of its international activities are carried out within the framework of the UN, including the UN peacekeeping forces, nuclear nonproliferation, climate issue, environmental protection and other major aspects. The United States, on the other hand, is different. The US perceives the UN as a tool and only pays attention to the issue that is beneficial to itself. In fact, China has little cooperation with the US within the UN. China cooperates more with other major powers, in particular, with Russia. It is exactly because China could not agree with some of theWestern values in the UN, that the US in turn consider China’s participation in the UN as utilitarian, purely for its own interests without taking theWestern “principles” and “moral” into consideration.

Zheng Yongnian, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore

There is also convergence of Chinese and US interests in cyber security. Both cyber powers share interest in ICT infrastructure and industry supporting economic and social progress and wish to avert cyber incidents that could trigger inadvertent escalation and military confrontation. A multilateral Code of Conduct (CoC) in cyberspace is desirable. It is more achievable than a legally binding treaty. But a meaningful multilateral CoC will necessarily take time to develop and might represent the lowest common denominator among the participants. Both the US and China might be unwilling to extend to others application of some obligations they can do bilaterally. So it is prudent to proceed in parallel to build a bedrock of bilateral executive understandings in areas that have the highest potential for unwelcome friction.

Ariel Levite, the former head of the Bureau of International Security,Ministry of Defense, Israel

The rhetoric of cooperation in counterterrorism comes easily. The reality comes hard.Nations have very different views of who is a terrorist andwho is a legitimate opponent to a given government. While all nations at least claimto oppose terrorism as they individually define it, they do not agree on who should be called a terrorist, on the relative priority for counterterrorism over human rights and civil liberties, or the priorities that should be given to a specific threat.

Anthony H.Cordesman, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for Strategic and International Strategic Studies, US

Cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief has dimensions beyond the practical needs. It is also an area that allows cooperation between countries that do not especially trust or like each other. It provides opportunities to pursue cooperation and interoperability between states where other forms ofmilmil interaction are limited due to political factors, so it provides for a “less threatening level ofmilitary cooperation”. Cooperation in this field should not be influenced by political tension between countries. If disaster strikes, response measures and assistance should be provided unconditionally.

Gudrun Wacker, German Institute for International and Security Affairs