
AI-generated summary
The Xiangshan Forum is China's premier annual defence conference, established as an alternative to the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore. This year marks its 20th anniversary.
Beijing is hosting China’s most important annual defence conference, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, bringing defence officials, former politicians and think tank experts to the city from around the world.
About 200 specialists and researchers are expected to take part in the forum this week, which many see as Beijing’s answer to Singapore’s annual Shangri-la Dialogue, the region’s biggest defence conference.
This year marks the Xiangshan Forum’s 20th anniversary. The three-day event runs from Tuesday to Thursday and comes amid a series of high-profile diplomatic events.
Reporting by Amber Wang, Albee Zhang, Dewey Sim, Seong Hyeon Choi, William Zheng and Alcott Wei

In the early morning of the 16th, the National Army held a joint precision ammunition shooting exercise among the three armed forces at Jiupeng Base in Pingtung. The Patriot missile was the first to be launched, demonstrating its air defense and precision strike capabilities. The exercise will last for several days, including various types of missiles and rockets such as Tiangong and Xiongfeng. The Coast Guard will also participate in the launch of anti-ship missiles, and President Lai Qingde will personally supervise the exercise.

For the first time, the U.S. Space Force has publicly confirmed that it has deployed weapons in space orbit to protect joint combat forces and provide offensive and defensive capabilities. The Space Force defended the deployment on the grounds of threats from China and Russia, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Russian Kremlin expressed opposition to it and called for an end to the arms race in outer space.

The United States has confirmed the deployment of space weapons in Earth orbit. This is the first time that the United States has admitted that it has such offensive capabilities, aiming to protect the US military from hostile threats. China responded by urging the United States to avoid an arms race in space.

Chinese military researchers have outlined a conceptual plan to develop a nuclear-powered main battle tank armed with a long-range electromagnetic railgun, potentially debuting after 2045.

The first two of four MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones ordered from the US completed their initial test flight from Hualien Air Base in eastern Taiwan following months of assembly and preparation.

On the 15th, Defense Minister Gu Lixiong went to Keelung Waimushan Camp and Weihai Camp to express condolences to the army and navy, inspect the combat readiness, reconnaissance and patrol preparations, and understand the combat readiness routes of officers and soldiers through the TAK system, affirming the hard work of the national army in protecting national security.