Over 400 military officials from around the world are gathering to discuss Asia's security during the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. The two-day event starts on Tuesday. Terrorism and maritime cooperation are the top concerns.

They have come to talk about the security of the Asia-Pacific region. The Xiangshan Forum in Beijing brings military officials and experts from 59 countries and six international organizations to China. They come with their own expectations from the two-day forum.

Organizers elaborated on the theme of the forum during the welcome dinner.

"The theme for this year is 'Build a New Type of International Relations through Security Dialogue and Cooperation'. The topics not only refer to maintaining security in the Asia-Pacific region, but also include improving global governance and deepening global anti-terrorism efforts. They are key to world security and development and are meaningful both now and in the future," Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of Joint Staff Dept., China's Central Military Commission, said.

General Zulkifeli from Malaysia says cooperation is needed now more than ever to fight terrorism on a global scale.
 
Security is a thorny issue in Asia. But the head of the Vietnamese delegation says military cooperation is needed.

"The P-L-A and militaries of the world are working together on maritime cooperation. An example of this is the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea in the western pacific. China is also working with Southeast Asian countries on maritime security. This is the best and only way ahead for the militaries of the world to address maritime security challenges," Senior Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, head of Vietnamese delegation, said.

The Xiangshan forum has fewer individual attendees than last year. But it's more inclusive, with 10 more countries participating.