SINGAPORE, May 31 ------ The fraught relationship between China and the United States is expected to loom over Asia's top security meeting this week, as are the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and simmering South China Sea tensions.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, which attracts top defense officials, senior military officers, diplomats, weapons makers and security analysts from around the globe, will take place from May 31 to June 2 in Singapore. About 600 delegates from nearly 50 countries will attend the meeting, which opens with a keynote address by Filipino President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, who has said new South China Sea rules outlined by China's coast guard were an escalation and "worrisome".
Marcos told reporters on Wednesday it was significant that he was asked to talk about the South China Sea and that he would present his country's position on the issue. "This affects the region and it affects the world," he said. Apart from the U.S. delegation headlining Saturday's speech and China featuring on Sunday, this year's edition includes a special session by Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who has said Indonesia was very open to both the U.S. and China.
Analysts say the dialogue is useful for the bilateral and multilateral military-to-military meetings on the sidelines of plenary sessions and speeches delivered by defense ministers.
The Russians have been absent from the security meeting since 2022, when the Russian military invaded Ukraine. No Israeli delegation signed up to attend this year. Last year, China had declined to meet the U.S. delegation. The U.S.-Sino relationship has improved since the last Shangri-la Dialogue, however, and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, on Friday.
Source: reuters.com
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