PUBLISHED ONSeptember 15, 2025 5:50 AMBYSean LerA day after returning from a four-day visit to the United States on Sept 13, Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing is on a four-day introductory visit to China till Thursday (Sept 18).
Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, will meet with senior Chinese leaders in Beijing and speak at the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum.
He will visit the People's Liberation Army (PLA) National Defence University, where he will engage senior PLA and provincial officials in a roundtable discussion.
The minister will also be hosted to a visit to the PLA Southern Theatre Command in Guangzhou and the STC navy in Zhanjiang.
Established in 2016, the Southern Theatre Command is one of five theatre commands of the PLA. It is responsible for parts of mainland China and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, the South China Sea, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
On its official page on X, it is described as a high-level security and defence forum that promotes "equality, openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning" in Asia-Pacific and beyond.
The theme for this year is "upholding international order and promoting peaceful development", with four plenary sessions and eight panel discussions scheduled.
Chinese media outlet Xinhua news agency reported that over 1,800 representatives from more than 100 countries will be attending.
Apart from Chan, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin will also be participating in the forum.
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