Defence

SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

Chan Chun Sing calls for more partnerships with like-minded countries as nature of conflicts evolves

He says that with these networks, countries can work to build trust in domains such as cyber and artificial intelligence

Delegates attending the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30.
SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

Commentary: The US says ships and submarines trump summits. South-east Asia politely says ‘no’

“(Peace) requires defence, yes, but it also requires prevention,” says the Timor-Leste president

Malaysian Defence Minister Khaled Nordin speaking at a plenary session on managing regional tensions amid global competition at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 31.
SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

Malaysia rebukes Norway over cancelled missile deal; calls out global ‘hypocrisy’ on war crimes

Defence Minister Khaled also slammed the global public for what he called “hypocrisy” when it comes to genocide and war crimes

Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing (centre) hosted top defence leaders from the Five Power Defence Arrangements to breakfast on May 31.
SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

Leaders from Five Power Defence Arrangements affirm 55-year-old defence pact’s strategic relevance

The FPDA brings together Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Britain in a consultative security framework

Major General Meng Xiangqing (front, left), the head of the Chinese official delegation, leaving a special session at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30.
NEWS ANALYSIS

What China hears in Hegseth’s Shangri-La Dialogue speech

Major General Meng Xiangqing did not comment on the specific points raised by Hegseth at the SLD

PM Lawrence Wong meeting Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on May 30.
SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

PM Wong meets deputy prime ministers of Qatar and Australia to discuss deepening defence ties

The Qatari DPM separately met President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 30

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing (fourth from right) with visiting ministers and their representatives, including his counterparts (from left) Lithuania’s Robertas Kaunas, Italy’s Guido Crosetto, Thailand’s Adul Boonthumjaroen, the US’ Pete Hegseth, the Netherlands’ Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, Japan’s Shinjiro Koizumi and the Philippines’ Gilberto Teodoro Jr, at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30.
SHANGRI-LA DIALOGUE 2026

Countries need to build trust as defence spending rises, says Chan Chun Sing

This was among the issues discussed at a meeting he hosted for visiting ministers and representatives

Pope Leo argues that AI is not morally neutral and must be designed within an ethical framework from its inception.
THE BROAD VIEW

The pope disrupts Silicon Valley

Unlike the US president, the pontiff is choosing to grapple with the serious challenges of AI

Hegseth (third from right) is set to meet Singapore PM Lawrence Wong and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing to discuss expanding US military asset rotations.

US Defence Secretary Hegseth in Singapore for talks ahead of Shangri-La Dialogue

The defence chief will also meet counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and New Zealand during the trip

China's Defence Minister Dong Jun at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2024.

China’s defence minister again skips Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore attended by US’ Hegseth

CHINA’S top military diplomat will skip Asia’s biggest defence forum for a second year in a row, ceding to the US and its allies an opportunity for public defence diplomacy.