China will downgrade its representation at the Shangri-La Dialogue this year and, in doing so, skip an opportunity for Defence Minister Dong Jun to meet counterparts from the United States and across Asia.
In the past, Asia’s premier defence forum has offered a chance for China’s defence minister to make a speech to counter Washington’s narrative in the region and meet other defence chiefs directly.
China’s defence ministry said on Thursday that China would send a delegation from the National Defence University to attend the forum in Singapore, which will begin on Friday and continue until Sunday.
The Chinese delegation will stand out among others led by defence chiefs and senior military officials from the region and beyond, including India, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Britain, Germany, France and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
French President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas will speak at the event.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will deliver a speech on Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy on Saturday.
Observers said China’s decision was not surprising given the ongoing talks to resolve the US-China tariff war, and there were probably multiple reasons for the move, including internal reshuffles and reduced interest in the “Western-centric” security dialogue.
