Overview

• Organizers say about 1,800 participants from roughly 100 countries are attending the Sept. 17–19 event in Beijing.
• The theme is “Upholding International Order and Promoting Peaceful Development,” with sessions on global security governance and Asia-Pacific cooperation, and analysts see Beijing promoting an alternative to U.S.-led frameworks.
• Russia sent an official delegation led by Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivileva, joined by senior experts slated to speak.
• The United States is represented by its Beijing defense attache, a downgrade from last year’s deputy assistant secretary of defense.
• Before the forum, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun spoke by phone, pledging to keep military channels open while restating firm positions on regional flashpoints.