ISTANBUL: China's top security forum opened in Beijing on Thursday, with representation from more than 90 countries. The 11th Xiangshan Forum, a three-day conference, kicked off in Beijing focusing on the theme of promoting peace for a shared future amid tensions in the disputed South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and Korean Peninsula, besides wars in Gaza and Ukraine. China's Defense Minister Dong Jun, who assumed office last December, hosts the forum. Around 500 representatives from over 90 countries and international organizations, and more than 200 Chinese and international experts are attending the forum. The participants, including those from the US, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and Israel, will talk on issues ranging from US-China relations, Global South, security cooperation in Asia-Pacific, ASEAN, and security architecture of Asia-Pacific, as well as maintaining northeastern Asian security. Founded in 2006, the forum has become one of the major annual security-related gatherings in Asia-Pacific. Source: Anadolu Agency