Chinese scholar calls for positive energy in maintaining global stability

A senior Chinese military scholar on Saturday called on the international community to jointly inject positive energy into safeguarding global strategic stability.

Meng Xiangqing, head of the Chinese People's Liberation Army expert delegation and a professor at China's National Defense University said at a session at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore that global strategic stability faces multiple challenges.

Against this backdrop, China has put forward the Global Security Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, advocating a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, Meng said in a speech at the session.

The initiatives uphold multilateralism and the rule of law in international affairs, providing important ideas and solutions for addressing global challenges, he said.

Meng also said that all countries should firmly safeguard the post-war international order and strengthen the political foundation for strategic stability. He emphasized the need to remain alert to any resurgence of militarism and to uphold the outcomes of World War II and the post-war international order.

"For a country that has never thoroughly eradicated the specter of militarism, is it qualified to discuss defense cooperation on the international stage? Can it win the trust of the international community, especially the Asian countries it once invaded? I have serious doubts. The lessons of the past are not far behind us. Today, the world once again stands at a new crossroads. We must remain vigilant against any attempt to revive militarism, and earnestly safeguard the achievements of World War Two and the post-war international order," said Meng.

On nuclear issues, Meng reiterated China's long-standing position.

He said that China's stance is consistent and clear. China remains committed to peaceful development, adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and pursues a policy of no-first use of nuclear weapons.

China supports a comprehensive ban and eventual elimination of nuclear arms, and this policy has never changed, he added.

Since its launch in 2002 by the British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as the Asia Security Summit, has been held annually except in 2020 and 2021 with the support of the Singaporean government.

As Asia's premier defense and security summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 opened Friday in Singapore amid growing geopolitical tensions.

The three-day event, which focuses on major security challenges facing the region, brought together 550 delegates from over 40 countries and regions. It features six plenary sessions, two ministerial roundtables, three special sessions, and a special address.

Chinese scholar calls for positive energy in maintaining global stability

Russia claimed on Saturday that its forces carried out a strike on Ukraine's military airfields and energy, fuel and transport infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian armed forces, while Ukraine said it launched attacks on Russian military and energy facilities.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that in the past 24 hours, its forces carried out a combined strike with long-range land- and air-launched high-precision weapons and combat drones against military airfields, as well as energy, fuel and transport infrastructure used to serve the needs of the Ukrainian forces.

Russian forces also struck temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed groups and foreign mercenaries in 148 areas. Meanwhile, Russian air defense forces destroyed 352 fixed-wing drones, 10 guided aerial bombs and one U.S.-made HIMARS rocket projectile along the front lines, it said.

On the Ukrainian side, the unmanned systems forces reported that they launched a drone strike against a Russian military site in Rostov Oblast, destroying an Iskander missile system and two Tu-142 aircrafts.

In addition, Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on multiple Russian fuel infrastructure facilities.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) struck an oil facility in Russia's Krasnodar Krai region.

Alexey Likhachev, the CEO of Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom, said that a Ukrainian drone attacked the turbine island of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and exploded. The explosion caused damage to the building's exterior walls, but the primary equipment remained undamaged, and there were no casualties.

Ukraine has not yet responded to the claim.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development said on social media that a Russian drone strike targeted a diesel locomotive in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing one driver. A subsequent attack damaged an electric locomotive in the same area.

Ukrainian railways also said that Russian forces damaged one electric locomotive and one diesel locomotive in its assaults on railway infrastructure and rolling stock in the Zaporizhzhia region, resulting in the death of one locomotive driver and injuries to two staff members.

Russia has not yet responded to the reports.

Russia, Ukraine both report attacks on military targets, energy facilities