The 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, held from September 17-19, 2025, represented a watershed moment in China’s defense diplomacy. Western nations have deliberately sought to prevent the Xiangshan Forum from achieving parity with the Singapore Shangri-La Dialogue as a high-level security forum. The result was a forum increasingly dominated by Global South voices, providing China with the ideal audience for its alternative governance vision. Global South ConsolidationChina’s most ambitious goal involves consolidating Global South support for its alternative order. Given China’s Global South leadership aspirations, Seoul can emphasize how North Korean provocations damage China’s “responsible great power” image.