Shangri-La Dialogue: China’s new defence chief Dong Jun expected to take tough stance in security summit debut
- Dong, the first naval officer to be named defence minister, is expected to meet US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at this weekend’s regional forum
- Summit comes amid elevated regional tensions as US forges closer defence ties with China’s neighbours
But after he emerged as the face of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) after an extensive reshuffle that saw his predecessor vanish from public view, Dong will also face challenges to establish his own credentials.
Beijing’s participation at this year’s Shangri-la Dialogue, to be held from Friday to Sunday, comes just days after it conducted two days of large-scale military drills around the island of Taiwan that Beijing said were meant to “punish” Taiwanese independence forces. The exercises drew concern from several countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia and the European Union.
The military drills around Taiwan, which were aimed at testing Beijing’s capabilities to blockade the island, were in direct response to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s presidential inauguration speech on May 20, which Beijing said was provocative and sent out a “dangerous signal” on Taiwan independence.
The exercises also came after months of intense confrontations between Chinese coastguard vessels and their Filipino counterparts in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
