By Li Xianchi | 2025-09-25

China renewed its periodic threats to seize Taiwan as Defense Minister Dong Jun opened the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on September 18, declaring before hundreds of international delegates that the "restoration" of Taiwan to China "is an integral part of the postwar international order."

The forum, held in Beijing and touted as China's premier platform for military diplomacy, comes at a time of heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Denouncing Taiwan

Dong wasted no time in denouncing Taiwan's government.

Addressing delegates from about 100 countries, Dong warned that China would "never allow any separatist attempts for Taiwan independence to succeed" and that "we are ready to thwart any external military interference at all times."

"The Chinese military stands ready to work with all parties to serve as a force for global peace, stability and progress," he said.

Beijing views Taiwan, a democracy of 23 million inhabitants, as a breakaway province, even though the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled the island.

To menace Taiwan, China sends "warships and aircraft near the island almost daily," the Associated Press reported.

Taiwan's pushback

Taipei immediately pushed back against Dong.

The Foreign Ministry in Taipei issued a statement stressing that "neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the PRC is subordinate to the other" and that Beijing has "no right to represent Taiwan in the international community."

ROC and PRC are acronyms for the two rivals: the Republic of China (now based on Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China.

Taipei further accused Beijing of waging "legal warfare" to reframe the Taiwan issue as a domestic matter.

Dong misrepresented Taiwan's stance, which in reality is "to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," said Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister on Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council.

Dong "assumes Taiwan seeks independence by maintaining the status quo, but that is not our view," said Liang.

Maritime tensions

Dong's keynote touched on maritime disputes in the South China Sea.

China claims more than 80% of the sea, even though neighboring countries dispute its assertions.

"The so-called freedom of navigation raised by countries outside the region and the so-called international arbitration propagated by certain claimant countries are challenging the basic norms governing international relations," said Dong.

"External military interference, seeking spheres of influence and coercing others to take sides will bring the international community into chaos."

Dong's comments came just two days after two Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannons for nearly 30 minutes at a Philippine resupply ship near Scarborough Shoal, injuring a crew member and damaging the vessel.

The clash added to a series of Sino-Philippine confrontations despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected Beijing's sweeping maritime claims.

Forum's shrinking prestige

While Beijing sought to project confidence, observers noted the forum's reduced profile this year. Traditionally, the Xiangshan Forum features three hallmarks: a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping, a keynote by the defense minister and prominent coverage by state media.

This time, Xi's letter was absent, and the official Xinhua report devoted just 382 words to the opening session -- less than its report on a dinner hosted by Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia.

The event has lost prestige compared to previous years, analysts said.

Although Beijing claimed 1,800 participants attended, most Western governments sent only low-level delegations.

Xiangshan's discussions are "too vague" and avoid directly addressing regional conflicts, Shen Ming-shih, a researcher at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told the Epoch Times.

Compared with major international forums in Europe or Asia, the Xiangshan Forum has been reduced to little more than propaganda and United Front work, said Shen.

The United Front is a term for pro-Beijing propaganda operations in Taiwan.