Shangri-La Dialogue: China snubs Asias largest defense forum as tensions with US simmer
CNN2 days
Major Asian Security Summit Kicks Off, China's Dong Skips Attendance
Above: Police officers stand on patrol during the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel on May 30, 2025 in Singapore. Image copyright: Yong Teck Lim/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
China's downgraded representation at this year's forum can be interpreted as a reaction to the Trump administration's aggressive trade policy and China hawk Hegseth's confrontational stance against Beijing, which risks destabilizing international diplomacy and unnecessarily forcing countries to choose sides. So far, China has shown its goodwill by participating in the spectacle dominated by Western narratives, but the tolerance threshold has been reached.
Anti-China narrative
China's snub is a diplomatic mistake and demonstrates that Beijing is not interested in dialogue, but in increasing its power at the expense of others. Washington remains the most reliable security partner for the Indo-Pacific region, and the U.S. will leverage the forum to strengthen its strategic ties with allies and partners to support a shared regional vision for peace and stability while enhancing deterrence.