| James Kon |
MINISTER of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof was in Beijing, China to attend the 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum 2018. The event, which began on Wednesday and ended yesterday, was held at the Beijing International Convention Centre.
The minister led a delegation from the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) which included Permanent Secretary Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar bin Haji Ma’awiah.
Organised by the China Association for Military Science (CAMS) and China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS), this year’s forum carried the theme ‘Building a New Type of Security Partnership of Equality, Mutual Trust and Win-Win Cooperation’.
Sixty-seven countries and seven international organisations were at the forum including Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN member states, Europe and African countries, NATO and the United Nations.
The forum was officiated by State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of the People’s Republic of China General Wei Fenghe, who delivered a remark from President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.
Divided into four plenary sessions and simultaneous special sessions, the forum focussed on wide-ranging topics namely International Security Governance – New Ideas and Approaches, Global Terrorism; Threats and Countermeasures, Maritime Security Cooperation; Reality and Vision, and UN Peacekeeping and Cooperation.
On Thursday, General Wei Fenghe hosted a welcoming dinner for defence ministers who attended the forum.
On the sidelines, Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi met with the Chairman of CAMS Lieutenant General Yang Xuejun to discuss on opportunities for defence institutes of both nations. The Minister of Defence II also expressed his appreciation for the hospitality rendered to his delegation throughout the forum.
This year’s forum has achieved its objectives which among others, include a meaningful platform to exchange ideas towards enhancement of security. The minister and the delegation will leave Beijing today.