The Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading defense forum held annually in Singapore, is missing a key player this year: China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun. For the second consecutive year, Dong Jun has opted out of attending the event, which is a significant platform for discussing regional security issues. Instead, China has sent a delegation of People’s Liberation Army experts and scholars, a noticeable step down from the usual high-level representation.
Implications of China’s Absence
Traditionally, the forum has featured a prominent speech by China’s defense minister or a senior official, outlining Beijing’s defense policies and perspectives on global tensions. However, this year, as in 2025, the speech has been omitted from the program. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his disappointment, noting the missed opportunity for direct dialogue on critical issues, including differing perceptions of military actions at sea and in the air.
Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles echoed these sentiments, describing the absence as a lost chance for candid discussions on regional flashpoints. Despite not attending the forum, Dong Jun did meet with Hegseth earlier this month during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China.
Strategic Calculations
Some analysts suggest that China’s decision to send a lower-profile delegation may be a strategic move to avoid difficult questions about sensitive topics such as Taiwan tensions and the impact of military corruption purges on China’s combat readiness. Chong Ja Ian, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, speculated that the composition of the Chinese delegation, being heavily researcher-focused, raises questions about its representativeness and authority.
Diplomats also noted that Beijing might be avoiding a repeat of last year’s dialogue, where Hegseth labeled China as a threat in the Indo-Pacific region, prompting a strong response from Beijing. This year, Hegseth adopted a more restrained tone, emphasizing the importance of no state, including China, imposing its hegemony over the region.
Historical Context
China has been sending high-level delegations to the Shangri-La Dialogue since 2007, with the defense minister attending in 2011, 2019, and from 2022 to 2024. The event was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bilahari Kausikan, a veteran diplomat from Singapore, remarked that while the presence of China’s defense minister would be beneficial, it is not essential for the forum’s primary goal of anchoring U.S. presence in Southeast Asia.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
