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 conflict between Israel and Palestine is a very old problem which has become much more complicated now because of the treatment that the people of Palestine have been receiving from Israel. It has been brewing over time and suddenly recently it became very explosive and unacceptable against any civilised standard.

South Korea’s relationship with the U.S. as a protectorate has benefited Seoul strategically and economically. As tensions between China and the U.S. change the geopolitical climate of the region, South Korea may want to reevaluate the cost of a large U.S. military presence in their territory.

The Afghanistan regime’s problems have been compounded by a sharp reduction in foreign aid, a prolonged drought, famine and cultural factors. Its leaders are experienced on the battlefield but not with the details of governance. The country has been largely forgotten by the international community.

Amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, the Biden administration orchestrated a significant breakthrough by fostering closer relations between South Korea and Japan. This shift is underscored by a recent trilateral summit involving the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, where leaders addressed shared challenges posed by China and North Korea. This collaboration signifies a critical step towards regional security, economic resilience, and a unified approach to navigating the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific.

The deepening trilateral collaboration of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea is undermining stability on the Korean Peninsula, and recent provocative actions, will only serve to escalate tensions further. In addition, harsh rhetoric erodes the fragile trust of nations and could result in a generalized sense of insecurity.

With stepped up military cooperation, the Philippines has joined the “first team” of U.S. allies working to restrict and subdue China. Yet others, such as Indonesia, have applied the brakes.