UPDATE - Peace ‘only way out’ of Gaza, Ukraine wars: Chinese defense chief

UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER, REVISES DECK

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Promoting peace talks for political solutions in Gaza and Ukraine is the “only and the fundamental way out,” China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun said Friday.

He was addressing China’s top security gathering, known as Xiangshan Forum, which is attended in Beijing by some 1,800 guests from over 100 nations.

Countries must put their destiny “in their own hands,” Dong told the summit, themed “promoting peace for a shared future.”

“To resolve hotspot issues such as the crisis in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting peace and negotiation is the only way out,” he added.

The Israeli war on Gaza has killed over 41,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, while more than 11,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its “special military operation” against Kyiv in February 2022.

“There is no winner in war and conflict, and there is no way out of the obsession confrontation,” Dong stressed.

“The more acute the conflict, the more we cannot give up dialogue and negotiation. The end of any conflict is reconciliation,” said the Chinese defense minister, who is hosting the forum.

It is the first time in five years that a Chinese defense minister has attended the forum in person since the world was overwhelmed by COVID-19 in 2020.

China also saw an abrupt ousting of Dong’s predecessor Li Shangfu last year.

Nearly 20 defense ministers, including those from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore, are attending the three-day event.

The US is represented by Michael Chase, the US deputy assistant secretary of defense.

- Regional unity to maintain peace

In the face of regional issues, Dong said, countries within the region “should unite and make themselves stronger, maintain regional peace and tranquility.”

“And truly, firmly grasp the leading role of regional security in their own hands.”

Dong’s comments came in the wake of intense tensions between China and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea which has seen Western nations, especially the US, backing Manila against Beijing.

Without naming any country, he asked the “other parties” to provide “positive energy” in regional affairs.

He called on members of the international society to “show mutual respect, treat each other with sincerity, and seek common grounds while reserving differences.”