The Diplomat published on 23 September 2025 a commentary titled "2025 Xiangshan Forum: China Enters a New Era of Assertive Global Governance" by Sookyeon Lee, lieutenant colonel in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and associate professor at the Korea National Defense University.
The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum in September 2025 represented a watershed moment in China's foreign policy. The author, who attended the forum in 2024 and 2025, concluded this year's session showcased an emboldened China ready to present itself as the leader of an alternative global order. The forum also tracked closely the recent announcement of China's Global Governance Initiative, a framework for reforming the current Western-led international system.
