Did China take a back seat by not having its defence minister attend this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue?


Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defecse University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. - AP

SINGAPORE: Almost everyone was talking about China at the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend. The main question: Why did Beijing opt not to send its defence minister?

For the large part of the three-day security forum held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, China was not around to push back against the criticisms levelled against it. But it appears that this was a calculated loss that Beijing is prepared to accept.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
China , Singapore , Shangri-La Dialogue

Next In Aseanplus News

Young Bruneian art critic joins regional platform in Japan and Taiwan
Cambodian evacuees welcome ceasefire but wait in uncertainty as return home unclear
Laos named among world’s cheapest travel destinations
Vietnam seeks ways to expand exports to halal market
MMEA seizes six tonnes of tin ore off Batu Pahat
Yearender: Police reform in Indonesia met with doubt amid persistent brutality, impunity
Teenage girl among four charged with migrant smuggling
Malaysian man linked to Cambodia-based scam ring nabbed at Woodlands Checkpoint
'Java Man’ returns to Indonesia in first of fossil repatriation from Netherlands
Black, white and grey: Why monochromes dominate the South Korean fashion scene

Others Also Read