Mr Chan added that dialogue and practical cooperation between militaries remain vital.
He noted that since 2017, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus have adopted measures to reduce risks at sea and in the air, with China playing a constructive role.
He said these platforms are also moving beyond traditional areas to address new challenges such as artificial intelligence, as the nature of warfare becomes more multifaceted.
He noted that in Chinese, the word for crisis is weiji, a combination of the words danger and opportunity.
“Countries should view these challenges as both challenges and opportunities to strengthen cooperation,” he said.
“The power of the strong can govern people for a time, but the virtue of the strong can govern people for a lifetime. As President Xi said, strength may prevail for a time, but over the long arc of history, reason decides the victor.”
“Drawing on China’s long history, only when ‘the world is for the common good’ can one win the respect and trust of nations across the world,” Mr Chan added in Mandarin.
He also referenced former US President Joe Biden’s remarks in 2021: “All great powers can choose to demonstrate the power of their example or to demonstrate the example of their power.”
Mr Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services, is on a four-day working visit to China.
In Beijing, Mr Chan also met Central Military Commission Vice Chairman General Zhang Youxia, where both reaffirmed defence ties and pledged closer military exchanges.
He also visited the PLA National Defense University, met its president General Xiao Tianliang, and joined a dialogue with senior PLA and provincial officials on security issues.
