The Lianyungang Conference and Beijing’s Attempts to Reshape Global Security

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PRC State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong delivers a speech at the opening of the 2024 Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, on September 9. (Source: Gov.cn)

Executive Summary:

  • The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has trained 2,700 foreign police officers in the past year and pledged to train an additional 3,000 in the coming 12 months, as part of its growing involvement in global security governance.
  • The Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, held this year in Lianyungang, saw participation from 122 countries, regions, and international organizations. It showcased the PRC’s vision of global public security cooperation and advanced law enforcement technologies, including facial recognition software and drones.
  • The conference advanced the PRC’s ambitions to set new global security standards, particularly through the launch of the Global Public Safety Index and initiatives addressing transnational crime and AI-related risks.

    The Global Public Security Cooperation Forum was held this year on September 9–10 in the city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province (Lianyungang Forum, accessed September 27). It advanced efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to redefine global security, building on the broader Global Security Initiative (GSI; 全球安全倡议) proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2022. The GSI is the PRC’s vision for addressing both traditional and non-traditional international security challenges through cooperation and dialogue (Xinhua, September 9). This year’s conference took as its theme “Building a Global Community of Public Security (打造全球公共安全共同体).” This entails deepening international collaboration on public security issues.

    This forum attracted more than 2,000 experts, scholars, and law enforcement personnel from 122 countries, regions, and international organizations, marking a significant increase from the inaugural Lianyungang conference in 2022. Representatives from Myanmar, Malaysia, Pakistan, Interpol, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime attended. Conference Chairman Andy Tsang Wai-hung (曾伟雄) emphasized that 80 of the attendees held ministerial-level positions or higher, underscoring the event’s increasing international influence (The Paper, September 10). In addition to the main conference, 12 sub-forums covered topics such as tourism safety, drone security, and law enforcement capacity building.

    Police Training and International Cooperation

    The PRC is increasingly using police training and international cooperation as tools to expand its global influence and reshape security partnerships. In his opening speech, Minister for Public Security Wang Xiaohong (王小洪) announced that the PRC had trained 2,700 foreign police officers over the past year and committed to training an additional 3,000 over the next 12 months (Xinhua, September 9; Global Times, September 10). He emphasized the PRC’s role in enhancing global law enforcement capabilities and tackling cross-border crime, as well as sending police consultants to nations requiring support (South China Morning Post [SCMP], September 10). Wang criticized the “politicization” of law enforcement and the “demonization” of normal international cooperation. He also stressed Beijing’s opposition to “any form of hegemonism and bullying” and cited the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as regional security risks that continue to “spill over”—a veiled critique of Western approaches to global security issues (AFP, September 9; HKFP, September 9).

    As part of the Conference, a sub-forum on police education saw the launch of a training plan for 2025–2026, designed to develop global public security talent (The Paper, September 8). This initiative aligns with the PRC’s broader international security cooperation strategy, as evidenced by President Xi’s recent pledge to train 7,000 military and police personnel from Africa at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC; 中非合作论坛北京峰会) (People’s Daily Online, September 5).

    PRC media have noted that some Western countries are starting to take measures to push back against the PRC’s expanding influence in the security domain. For example, nationalist outlet the Global Times highlighted Australia’s actions at the recent Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), held at the end of August. Australia used PIF to announce an AU$400 million ($269 million) Police Policy Initiative aimed at strengthening law enforcement among Pacific Island nations against civil unrest or natural disasters. The Global Times framed the move as an effort to counterbalance the PRC’s growing presence in the region (Global Times, August 28).

    Technology Showcase and Setting Public Security Standards

    The PRC is promoting its cutting-edge technology as part of its pitch to potential security partners. An exhibition featuring 45 leading public security companies ran for six days, overlapping with the Conference. Products on display included drones, surveillance equipment, facial recognition software, and non-lethal law enforcement equipment (China Daily, September 11; September 14).

    Beijing also hopes to set international standards for public security. Following the conference, the organizers released a “Concept Paper on Global Public Security Cooperation (全球公共安全合作概念文件).” This outlined ten key initiatives geared toward enhancing global security cooperation and addressing emerging challenges, particularly those posed by AI (Lianyungang Forum, accessed September 27). The forthcoming launch of the Global Public Safety Index (全球公共安全指数), which will evaluate countries based on public safety performance, further underscores the PRC’s intent to shape global security standards (The Paper; September 9; September 10).

    Conclusion

    The 2024 Lianyungang Conference highlights the PRC’s ambition to reshape the global security order through police training, the export of advanced law enforcement technology, and the establishment of new benchmarks like Global Public Safety Index. By positioning itself as an alternative to the US-led security paradigm, Beijing is attempting to expand its influence among developing countries, transform international security cooperation, and export security expertise and technology to a broader international market.