{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1773410,
        "msgid": "china-absent-from-shangri-la-dialogue-as-us-dominates-asian-security-forum-1780077697",
        "date": "2026-05-29 23:18:00",
        "title": "China Absent from Shangri-La Dialogue as US Dominates Asian Security Forum",
        "author": "Wisnu Arto Subari",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "China's absence from the Shangri-La Dialogue for the second consecutive year signals its strategic shift away from Western forums, even as regional tensions over Taiwan and the Middle East persist. US and AUKUS allies used the forum to advance security cooperation, with Australia highlighting concerns over China's military expansion and plans for new projects, while Vietnam's leader stressed the need for responsible dialogue to de-escalate regional disputes.",
        "content": "<p>The most prestigious Asian security forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue,\nofficially opened on Friday, 29 May 2026, in Singapore. However, the\nmain focus was on the absence of senior Chinese military officials amid\nrising regional tensions over Taiwan and the Middle East conflict. US\nDefence Secretary Pete Hegseth was scheduled as the keynote speaker for\nthe three-day event, while Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun opted not\nto attend for the second consecutive year. Analysts view Beijing\u2019s move\nas a sign of China\u2019s growing confidence as a major power distancing\nitself from Western-led forums. Vietnam\u2019s leader, To Lam, in his opening\nspeech on Friday evening, urged participants to use the dialogue as an\neffective risk-reduction instrument, stressing that the Shangri-La\nDialogue should not merely be a stage for reiterating national\npositions. \u2018Competition must be constrained by law, guided by\ntransparency, and conducted with restraint,\u2019 Lam stated. Although not\nexplicitly naming the US or China, he called for responsible commitments\nfrom influential nations both within and outside the region. Regarding\nthe South China Sea dispute, Lam affirmed Vietnam\u2019s clear, consistent,\nand principled stance. As the newly elected president and Communist\nParty leader, Lam is now considered Vietnam\u2019s most powerful leader in\ndecades. Dong Jun\u2019s absence dashed hopes for a face-to-face meeting with\nHegseth, despite Washington seeking to test Beijing\u2019s commitment to\nTaiwan stability and support for de-escalating tensions in Iran.\nInstead, China sent a delegation of military experts and academics led\nby Major General Meng Xiangqing from the National Defence University.\nWilliam Choong, senior researcher at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said\nChina\u2019s absence reflects its strengthened bargaining position. \u2018China\nhas firmly established itself as a regional power, thus feeling no need\nto send its defence minister to face critical questions,\u2019 he noted.\nHowever, other analysts pointed to internal factors. Two former Chinese\ndefence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, are currently facing\nsuspended death sentences over corruption charges. \u2018Being China\u2019s\ndefence minister and speaking publicly now is like holding a cup of\npoison,\u2019 said Jennifer Parker, professor at the University of Western\nAustralia. Beyond US-China tensions, the forum also hosted defence\nministers from the AUKUS alliance (US, UK, Australia), widely seen as a\nbulwark against Chinese military expansion in the Asia-Pacific.\nAustralian Defence Minister Richard Marles expressed concerns over\nChina\u2019s massive military build-up without adequate strategic assurances.\nAustralian media reported that AUKUS nations may announce new major\nprojects at the forum, including the development of unmanned underwater\nvehicles (UUVs).<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-absent-from-shangri-la-dialogue-as-us-dominates-asian-security-forum-1780077697",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}