SINGAPORE - Asia's top security summit returns to Singapore this weekend after a two-year pandemic hiatus, with the first face-to-face meeting between American and Chinese defence leaders andObservers expect the Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies , to shed light on the United States' and China's thinking and posture in relation to the region.
The IISS’ Asia executive director James Crabtree said the arrival of many defence ministers shows Singapore retains a central position in helping to facilitate security diplomacy, not just in Southeast Asia but in the wider region. The duo are slated to meet to discuss ways to manage competition between the superpowers, amid bristling tensions over a plethora of issues from Taiwan toGenerals Austin and Wei spoke over the phone in April, weeks before US President Joe Biden angered the Chinese administration when he said the US would get involved militarily if China invaded Taiwan, which Beijing views as a breakaway province to be brought back to the fold by force if necessary.
Prof Loh listed three things to watch for: A clearer articulation of the US' Indo-Pacific strategy which has not been fully fleshed out yet; whether China can convincingly spell out its own view of a regional order; and how Mr Kishida's speech may point to Japan playing a larger security role in the region.
The conflict in Ukraine has further cemented the US and China as leaders of rival geopolitical blocks, as Mr Crabtree pointed out in an analysis on Monday. Both the US and China share concerns that these moves may prelude a first nuclear weapon test since 2017.
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