In our latest Threat Assessment paper, Raphael Racicot, Kurtis H. Simpson, and Adam P. MacDonald examine the growing role of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum (BXF) in China’s foreign and defence policy.
Held annually each fall, the 2024 BXF (Sept 12–14) saw a record 700+ participants from 89 countries. The forum is growing in institutional importance, now including mid-year preparatory meetings. Despite its size and growing influence, the BXF receives limited coverage in Western media, with Canada typically sending only small delegations.
This oversight risks underestimating the strategic significance of the BXF. As the authors argue, the forum is a key instrument of China’s soft power, advancing its “Global Initiatives” and enabling military diplomacy and ideological outreach through multilateralism.
The paper proceeds in four parts:
- Contextualizing the BXF within the international security conference landscape.
- Analyzing key themes, speeches, and meetings from the 2024 iteration.
- Assessing how the forum advances Chinese foreign and defence diplomacy.
- Exploring implications for Canada and its allies, with policy recommendations in response.
