For the thirteenth time, Beijing's Xiangshan Forum has opened its doors to defense officials and security strategists from across the globe, this year drawing a senior Pentagon representative at a moment when the Indo-Pacific's fault lines are under considerable strain. The forum endures as one of the rare structured spaces where Washington and Beijing can speak directly about military matters—a quiet insistence, from both capitals, that dialogue itself holds value even when agreement remains elusive. In an era of overlapping territorial claims, expanding military capabilities, and deepening s