Singapore: Singapore is set to host the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue from Friday, bringing together defense ministers, military chiefs, and security strategists from across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America to discuss pressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
According to Anadolu Agency, the three-day dialogue, which runs until Sunday and will be attended by delegations from over 40 countries, is expected to focus heavily on the ongoing Middle East conflict's impact on global energy markets, US Indo-Pacific commitments, and tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea. Vietnamese President To Lam will deliver the keynote address to open the annual dialogue at the iconic Singapore hotel that gives the summit its name.
Other key attendees include US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, and New Zealand's newly-appointed Defense Minister Chris Penk. China's Defense Minister Dong Jun is likely to skip the event for a second consecutive year, reducing hopes of a high-level meeting between Beijing and Washington on the sidelines. Beijing is expected to send a lower-level People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation in Dong's place, according to South China Morning Post.
Last year's Chinese delegation was led by Hu Gangfeng, a PLA major general and vice president of the National Defense University. France, the UK, Germany, and Japan typically send high-level delegations. Hegseth will address the first plenary session on Saturday on Washington's strategy for peace in the Indo-Pacific. His speech, according to analysts, will be closely watched by allies still uncertain about the Trump administration's reliability as a security partner.
In 2025, Hegseth used his first appearance at the dialogue to strongly criticize China's military build-up and "gray zone tactics," while insisting that the US is "back" in the Indo-Pacific for the long term. The Pentagon chief accompanied Trump in a landmark visit to China earlier this month, during which both sides sought to stabilize ties. Asia-Pacific countries will be closely watching any change in tone from the Chinese and American delegations at the forum, with a special focus on Washington's evolving strategy and commitment in the region, as well as Beijing's security posture and positions on key issues, including the South China Sea and Taiwan.
China, which typically views the dialogue as a US-led Western confab, started sending delegations to the dialogue in 2007. Beijing's defense minister has since attended five times: in 2011, 2019, and consecutively from 2022 to 2024.