SINGAPORE: China will send a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University to this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, marking the second straight year Beijing has opted not to dispatch its defence minister to Asia’s top security summit.

The delegation will be led by the defence university’s Major General Meng Xiangqing, the Chinese defence ministry said during a press briefing on Thursday (May 28), seemingly confirming earlier rumours that defence chief Dong Jun would not be attending the weekend event, which starts on Friday. 

Major General Meng will speak at the event, as will former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cui Tiankai, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organises the annual summit.

This year’s edition will see 44 countries in attendance, said Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Thursday, with 54 ministerial-level delegates and over 42 Chief of Defence Forces-level delegates and senior defence officials from countries across the Asia-Pacific and Europe, as well as prominent academics.

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Vietnamese President To Lam will deliver the keynote address on Friday night, while Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will give a special address on Saturday.

Mr Hegseth is scheduled to speak on Saturday.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will host a reception at the Istana on Saturday, and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing will speak at a plenary session on Sunday on the topic “Evolving Security Partnerships in a Fragmenting World”, said MINDEF.

Mr Chan will also host visiting ministers to roundtable discussions – a regular feature of the summit – on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, he will host the defence ministers of the countries in the Five Power Defence Arrangements – Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom – to breakfast. 

Mr Chan will join his Philippine counterpart, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr, to co-host a breakfast meeting with ASEAN defence ministers.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with ministers and senior officials from various countries on the sidelines of the summit, said MINDEF.

Established in 2002, the Shangri-La Dialogue is the premier defence and security conference in the Asia-Pacific region.

Over the years, it has “provided a valuable platform for the exchange of perspectives on defence and security issues and initiatives” and “facilitates opportunities for like-minded countries to come together and cooperate to address new challenges”, said MINDEF.

Conflicts in the Middle East – including the US-Iran war – uncertainty over US commitments in Asia and rising tensions over Taiwan are expected to dominate the agenda.