Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun is expected to skip the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, marking his second consecutive absence at the region’s largest defence forum [1, 2]. Beijing is likely to send a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University instead, signaling a reduced profile for China’s representation at the event [1, 2].
The Shangri-La Dialogue, held from May 26-28, 2026, serves as a key platform for public defence diplomacy and discussion of regional security issues, including tensions around Taiwan and the South China Sea [1, 3, 2]. The absence of Dong Jun means that another opportunity for direct high-level military discussions between China and the United States at the forum will be missed [1].
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is attending the forum and is expected to deliver a speech outlining Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy [1, 3]. This contrasts with last year’s event in 2025 when Dong Jun participated and engaged with then-US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin in person [1].
Neither China’s Defence Ministry nor the Shangri-La Dialogue’s organiser, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), responded immediately to requests for comment on China’s delegation or Dong Jun’s absence [1, 3].
With Dong Jun not attending, interactions between the two military powers at the Shangri-La Dialogue are likely to be limited to lower-level contacts or separate engagements. The forum continues through May 28 in Singapore [1, 3, 2].
