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Amber Wang

Hayley Wong

It is customary for Chinese military delegations to push back against American messaging at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s largest annual security summit. But this year’s response was different: the rebuttal was not led by China’s defence minister, but its military academic institutions.
Beijing’s low-key attendance at the three-day forum in Singapore, which wrapped up on Sunday, was marked by the absence of Defence Minister Dong Jun and the cancellation of a plenary session on China’s security.
The absence of Dong, who attended last year, also suggested there were no bilateral talks between China and other countries, including the United States, at a time when Beijing’s growing military prowess is raising concerns in the region and beyond.
A US defence official confirmed to the South China Morning Post on Friday that no bilateral meetings had been arranged during the forum.
Dong’s absence was also a disappointment for other countries that had sought to hold talks on the sidelines of the forum, according to military officials from two countries who asked to remain anonymous.
One of them said: “The Chinese delegation told us they were not conducting bilateral engagements during the dialogue.”
A member of another delegation told the Post on Sunday that it was a “missed opportunity” for China not to send its defence minister, as the Shangri-La Dialogue served as a chance for countries to “articulate positions”.
China’s low-profile representation was further underscored by its limited public presence this year.
Last year, the delegation from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) held official press briefings responding to criticism and articulating its positions. But this year’s team was tight-lipped, did not arrange any press conferences, and its members were not frequently spotted on site or actively engaging with other delegations.
However, they still spoke out to challenge the US narrative about China during a limited number of panel discussions.
On Saturday, delegation leader Hu Gangfeng, a PLA major general and vice-president of the National Defence University, hit back after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to caution the world about what he characterised as the threat posed by China.
Hu said the Pentagon chief’s comments were “groundless accusations against China” that were “aimed at stirring up trouble, creating division, inciting confrontation, and destabilising the Asia-Pacific”.
China’s foreign and defence ministries also condemned Hegseth’s remarks, with strongly worded separate statements issued on Sunday decrying Washington’s “bullying” and “cold war mindset”.
Hu’s comments came during a small panel discussion titled “Cooperative Maritime Security in the Asia-Pacific”. It was the only session featuring a Chinese speaker.
The other officials on the five-member panel were from Britain, Chile, Vietnam and Japan.
When asked about China’s scaled-down representation at the forum, Hu noted that China attached “great importance” to the Shangri-La Dialogue.
It was “normal” to send delegations of different levels in different years, he said, adding that this would not affect China’s ability to explain its defence policies and communicate with other forum participants.
Zhang Chi, an associate professor at National Defence University, and a member of the Chinese delegation, also had notable engagements with top officials at the forum, asking questions of Hegseth and also Philippine defence chief Gilberto Teodoro Jnr during separate panel discussions.


China’s low-key presence this time contrasted sharply with the previous three years, when its defence ministers addressed plenary sessions.
A plenary session on “China’s Global Security Partnerships,” originally scheduled for Sunday morning and expected to feature Dong as a keynote speaker, was cancelled.
Da Wei, director of Tsinghua University’s Centre for International Security and Strategy in Beijing, said the arrangement was “understandable” as keynotes were typically delivered by a defence minister, and it would be unusual for an academic leader or lower-ranking officer to take that slot.
Da said it would have been “nicer” if Beijing had sent a higher-level delegation to the event to present its point of view in a keynote speech.
Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, he said: “I do not think [all] Southeast Asian countries would agree with what Hegseth said [about China on Saturday morning], but you would need someone to speak out.”
It was difficult for smaller countries to do this, he added.
In contrast to China, the US fielded a high-profile delegation that included General Dan Caine, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command. Defence Secretary Hegseth also held a series of bilateral meetings with regional counterparts on the sidelines.
China’s downgraded delegation came amid an anti-corruption campaign within the PLA that has led to the dismissal of several high-ranking officials.
They include two former defence ministers – Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe – who were expelled from the Communist Party in June last year. Both had attended the Shangri-La Dialogue during their terms.
China’s top legislature said in a statement made public last week that Miao Hua, a disgraced admiral and member of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), which controls the armed forces, was suspected of “legal violations”. Miao had been placed under investigation in November.
He Weidong, the second-ranked vice-chairman of the CMC, has also disappeared from public view since March 11, missing several events where top CMC leaders would generally be present.
A number of PLA generals and executives from major state-owned defence firms have also been implicated in the anti-corruption drive.
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore, said there might be a link between the downgrade and the anti-corruption investigations targeting PLA top brass.
“I don’t think there’s a change in attitude,” he said. “Beijing remains keen to use [the Shangri-La Dialogue] as a platform to project its voice and shape regional security narratives, and sending a minister is the way to amplify this.
“So it could really be down to the ongoing purges within the PLA leadership ranks, up to the CMC.”


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Shangri-La Dialogue

What made China keep a low profile at Shangri-La Dialogue?

Hu Gangfeng (centre), a PLA major general and leader of China’s delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, arrives for the forum’s opening ceremony on Friday. Photo: Hayley Wong

Chinese general fires back at US defence chief over Shangri-La Dialogue remarks

Major General Hu Gangfeng at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit, in Singapore on May 31. Photo: AFP

China aims to alter Indo-Pacific status quo, Pete Hegseth warns at Shangri-La Dialogue

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE

China’s Dong Jun to skip Singapore forum – and a chance to meet US, Asian defence chiefs

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (centre) walks out following a bilateral meeting with then US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31 of last year. Photo: AFP

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Instead of defence chief, China sends group from military academies to premier Singapore security forum, prompting speculation


Instead of defence chief, China sends group from military academies to premier Singapore security forum, prompting speculation.


What made China keep a low profile at Shangri-La Dialogue?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Instead of defence chief, China sends group from military academies to premier Singapore security forum, prompting speculation

Instead of defence chief, China sends group from military academies to premier Singapore security forum, prompting speculation