At Shangri-la Dialogue, US-China tensions set to steal the spotlight

THE most high-profile defence and security summit in the Asia-Pacific region returns to Singapore this week for the 18th straight year, and one pressing issue that is certain to dominate the agenda is the heightening competition between the world's two largest superpowers, the United States and China.

The Shangri-la Dialogue (SLD) begins on Friday and runs until Sunday. Since its launch in 2002, the forum - organised by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank - has brought together defence ministers, military chiefs and top-ranking defence officials to discuss pressing security issues in the region and beyond.

All eyes and ears will be on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who will deliver the keynote address at the dialogue's opening dinner on Friday night. Mr Lee, who last spoke at the SLD in 2015, is expected to stress the importance of "stable and constructive" relations between the US and China. He will also highlight the potential roles that Singapore and other small states can play in bolstering the multilateral world order.