This year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense forum, saw significant absence of key figures from China due to Minister Dong Jun’s decision to skip the event for the second consecutive time.
The usual high-powered presence of Chinese Defense Ministry was replaced by a low-profile delegation of People’s Liberation Army experts and scholars. This move marked a notable drop in the level of representation compared to previous years.
A highlight of past dialogues has been China’s defense minister or senior official delivering robust speeches outlining Beijing’s defense doctrine and global tensions outlook, but this year’s program did not include such a speech.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his wish for Minister Dong Jun’s presence at the conference during his keynote speech on Saturday. He looked forward to future communication opportunities despite the absence of China.
Australia’s Richard Marles called it a missed opportunity for countries to have frank, face-to-face talks on flashpoints in the region.
Despite the absence of Dong Jun, he did meet with Hegseth earlier this month during President Donald Trump’s visit to China. Zhou Bo, a retired PLA senior colonel and member of China’s delegation, downplayed his absence, noting it is not the first time the defense minister has missed the event.
Some analysts suggest that Minister Dong Jun’s absence might be a calculated choice aimed at avoiding tough questions about Taiwan tensions and military corruption purges’ impact on combat readiness. Analysts also questioned the representativeness and authority of China’s researcher-heavy delegation.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a more measured tone this year, cautioning against any state imposing hegemony but acknowledging that US-China relations are better than in many years.