23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue: Can Southeast Asia Still Be a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality?

23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue: Can Southeast Asia still be a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality?

Contrast the speeches of the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and the Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Kao Kim Hourn, at the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on 30 May 2026. It raises the question of whether the U.S. and Southeast Asia, except perhaps the Philippines, which is […] The post 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue: Can Southeast Asia still be a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality? a…

China’s Reduced Presence At Shangri-La Dialogue Highlights Contradictions In Global Security Rhetoric

China’s participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore was markedly reduced compared to previous years, signalling a deliberate ...

China reduces its footprint at Shangri-La Dialogue

The Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual forum in Singapore where defense ministers, armed forces chiefs and other luminaries assemble to discuss and debate issues related to Asia-Pacific security. Normally, Chinese officials headline this event and add a dose of feistiness, but Beijing's delegation this year was very lightweight. Organized by the United Kingdom-based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 took place from 29-31 May. To Lam, the President of Vietnam, delivered the keynote address on opening day, while US War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a special address. But notable was the absence of Chinese figureheads. These high-level officials have included defense ministers in the past. It is perhaps understandable that such luminaries do not wish to - or are not allowed to - currently attend Shangri-La Dialogues. After all, former defense ministers such as Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have ended up in detention and received suspended death sentences. In 2026, the Chinese side was represented by Major General Meng Xiangqing - a People's Liberation Army (PLA) professor at the National Defense University - as well as Cui Tiankai, a former vice minister in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was a bantamweight delegation indeed. It carried less heft even than last year's representation at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which was headed by Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng, Vice-President of the National Defense University. In some ways this step back from China is fortunate, for the IISS event gives it a platform to freely peddle its propaganda and narratives. Indeed, why should China be permitted to hawk its warlike vitriol without repercussion in an international forum? Two years ago, for instance, Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun declared, We will not allow any country or any force to create conflict and chaos in our region. He added, We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds. Anyone who dares to separate Taiwan from China will only end up in self-destruction. China's delegates were more restrained this year, though they did reiterate favorite arguments, and point fingers at others. Meng participated in a panel addressing threats to strategic stability. He noted the risk of global nuclear conflict is rising, though he failed to acknowledge that China's friend Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons is one such example. Meng also lamented that the international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regimes have been severely eroded. A series of nuclear arms control guardrails have collapsed. The two countries with the largest nuclear arsenals have entered a vacuum with no treaties, no verification and no dialog. Obviously, he was referring to the USA and Russia. Indeed, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates that they possess 83% of all deployable nuclear warheads. Yet China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal faster than anybody, with SIPRI believing that China currently has 620 nuclear warheads, up from 600 in 2024. The institute said, Depending on how it decides to structure its forces, China could potentially have at least as many intercontinental ballistic missiles as either Russia or the US by the turn of the decade. It is somewhat paradoxical that Meng said we must strengthen consensus on arms control and uphold the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regimes, while glaringly failing to admit that China steadfastly refuses to join any such treaty. Instead, Meng asserted, The country with the largest nuclear arsenal should fulfil their special responsibility and restart the nuclear disarmament process as soon as possible. China issued a white paper on arms control in November 2025, in which it singularly failed to explain why it is so dramatically snowballing its stockpile of nuclear weapons. In other words, China blames others for not submitting to arms control treaties, whilst completely spurning them itself. Global governance is also in serious disorder, suffering from dysfunction, disorder and damaged credibility, he asserted. Meng shared