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The Star
08-07-2025
- The Star
On security and peace: Lessons from the Shangri-La Dialogue
Young Leaders Programme at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 The infamous Doomsday Clock, which in January was set to '89 seconds to midnight' (i.e. the closest mankind has been to destroying our world), would probably be set even closer today. I was recently part of the 9th Young Leaders Programme at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue – One of Asia's foremost security events, held annually in Singapore, has concluded against the backdrop of unprecedented global security challenges. Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters. RM12.33/month RM8.63/month Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters. Free Trial For new subscribers only
Memri
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
The Philippines Position In The South China Sea; There Cannot Be Dialogue When China Habitually Peddles Lies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) recently concluded its annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.[1] The Shangri-La Dialogue is widely regarded as the premier defense summit for the Indo-Pacific region. With representatives from 47 countries in attendance, the forum provides a platform for defense ministers, military leaders, and senior officials to discuss regional security challenges. Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro was among the keynote speakers of the event. In his address, Teodoro outlined the Philippines' position on three key issues: the evolving role and limitations of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations; the Philippine's position amid the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry; and the reasons why the Philippines' acts the way it does amid China's illegal territorial grab in the South China Sea. During the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, which took place on May 30-June 1, 2025 in Singapore, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to questions raised by Chinese delegates concerning maritime tensions in the region. He said that the questions were in fact "disguised" propaganda and he highlighted the increasing gap between China's statements and its actions in the West Philippine Sea. Video footage of the session was posted to Facebook by the Philippine Department of National Defense on June 2, 2025. (See MEMRI TV clip No. 12063, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. At Shangri-La Conference: The Gap Between China's Words And Actions In The West Philippine Sea Is Growing, June 2, 2025) The State Of Multilateral Institutions For the past 80 years, the rules-based international order upheld by the United Nations and other multilateral institutions has fostered global stability that allowed nations to thrive in relative peace. In Asia, it paved the way for the post-war recovery and economic success of Japan, South Korea, and those in Southeast Asia. But the world is changing. Global interconnectedness – through migration, trade, and security alliances – has never been greater. The war in Ukraine, for example, has driven up energy and commodity prices across Asia. The conflict between Israel and certain terrorist groups in the Arab world has disrupted supply chains around the world. Furthermore, tensions in strategic chokepoints like the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and the South China Sea send ripples through global trade. In today's world, events in one region inevitably have consequences far beyond their borders. Amid recent conflicts and disputes, multilateral institutions have faced increased stress in maintaining peace and security. The mechanisms which were once effective in blocking acts of aggression and in restoring order are no longer as effective as they used to be. This is attributed to gridlocks in decision making, the failure to promote dialogue among disputing parties and the snail's pace by which reforms adapting to change are carried out. Legal and normative gaps are widening in the resolution of territorial disputes, in cybersecurity breaches, in protecting underwater infrastructure, in regulating artificial intelligence, and in the proliferation of lethal autonomous weapons – just to name a few. Under the current system, the inability of multilateral institutions to arrive at peaceful resolutions has become the norm, rather than the exception. This underscores the need for reforms that reflect today's realities. To this, Secretary Teodoro offers three recommendations: -First, enhance inter-regional security cooperation. This can be done by increasing dialogue among regional blocks such as the EU, ASEAN, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on shared security concerns. -Second, establish a revised legal framework, grounded on the rule of law, that is fit-for-purpose for the issues that face us today. Such a legal framework is to be jointly and cooperatively enforced by member countries. -Third, the inordinate veto privilege of powerful countries must be curtailed since its exercise is often a hindrance to the interest of the world at large. The Philippines advocates greater representation of smaller states, particularly in the UN Security Council. The Philippines commits to advocate constructive solutions if and when it is elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2027-2028. In the end, there is no alternative for the rules-based-order to maintain peace, security, and the continued prosperity of the world. We must improve the framework we already have. The Proxy War China sent no top defense officials to the Shangri-La Dialogue.[2] Instead, the Chinese delegation was led by representatives from the National Defense University. Its mission was to inject Chinese propaganda messages into the forum. One of them asked the Philippine Defense Secretary why the Philippines is allowing itself to be a proxy of America amid the U.S.-China "cold war." Secretary Teodoro emphasized that while the U.S.-China rivalry is raging, it must not be made the overarching narrative of all conflicts. Doing so unfairly portrays the legitimate actions of states like the Philippines as being done at the behest of stronger powers. It undermines the agency of smaller states. Secretary Teodoro also reiterated that the Philippine's actions in the South China Sea are not a function of the U.S.-China rivalry. Rather, they are a result of China's overreach in its nine-, ten-, or 11-dash line, which changes according to China's need, which is illegal and has no basis in international law. China's Territorial Grab Another CCP outfit asserted that while Malaysia and Vietnam have disputes with China, both manage their difference through peaceful dialogue, so why couldn't the Philippines do the same? To this, Secretary Teodoro's responded with barbed, elegant clarity. Let me quote him verbatim: "Thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions. First, the comparison between the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. Let us not forget that while we are members of ASEAN, we are [all] sovereign countries, each with their own territorial integrity and sovereignty. And I am sure that if what China is doing to the Philippines is done to Malaysia or to any ASEAN country, you will see a different reaction [from them]. And certainly, as an ASEAN brother, the Philippines will stand up with that ASEAN brother in [their] time of need – in support and in defense of what is international law and UNCLOS. As members of UNCLOS, we are all committed to support it. "On the dialogue with China, unfortunately, in my personal opinion, the fact that the question was asked in the way it was, engenders a deficit of trust in China's words vis-à-vis its actions. "Just look back to 1995 to a place called Mischief Reef.[3] There were a few bamboo structures erected there, and China said that these were temporary havens for fisherfolk. Now you have an artificial military island, heavily militarized. "China says that it has peaceful intentions. Why does it continue to deny the Philippines its rightful provenance under international law and UNCLOS? And as proof of this, we do not stand alone. No country in the world supports the nine dash line claim of China or the idea that waters within this nine dash line are internal waters of China. "Several countries in the world, no less than 50, have joined the Philippines in condemning China's behavior in the South China Sea. None have agreed with China and none has condemned the Philippines for standing up against China in the face of a threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty for which I thank the members of this chamber right now for your support. "And thus, for dialogue to be effective, it must be coupled with trust. And China has a lot of trust-building to do to be an effective negotiating partner in dispute settlement. We have to call a spade a spade. And that's what we see, and that is the biggest stumbling block to dispute resolution or dialogue with China – that deficit of trust which I think any rational person or any person that is not ideologically biased with freedom of thought and freedom of speech, will agree with me."[4] Chinese Hypocrisy China wants to convey two messages to the world. First, that it indeed possesses sovereign and legal rights over the South China Sea by virtue of its self-conjured non-dash line. Second, that the Philippines is obstructing China from exercising its rights by engaging in legal maneuvers and provocative activities, aided by the United States and other countries that lean toward western doctrine. China cannot have it both ways. It cannot illegally grab the sovereign territories of another nation and also play the victim. It cannot call for dialogue and cooperation when it systematically employs grey-zone tactics like firing laser guns, attacking with water cannons, and illegally boarding Philippine inflatable boats and slashing them with knives. There cannot be dialogue when China habitually peddles lies (e.g., the Mischief Reef narrative)[5] and disinformation (e.g., that the Philippines is acting as a proxy of the United States). There cannot be cooperation when China uses coercion to bully its adversaries into submission. This is the reason why the Philippines acts as it does. It was the lone country, among the many claimants of parts of the South China Sea, with the courage to take China to court and win. It is in the forefront in exposing China's bad behavior. It is leading the way in advocating the rule-based order as a means of settling disputes. Hence, the Philippine's reaction toward China is not one born out of emotion or malevolent intentions. Rather, its reaction is pragmatic with the view of defending its sovereign rights. To sum up, Secretary Teodoro's talk highlighted not only the Philippines' commitment to upholding the rules-based order but also the important role of multilateral institutions in addressing global conflicts. As the world continues to change, it is imperative that multilateral institutions evolve to remain effective. Reform – particularly in enhancing representativeness, adapting legal frameworks to modern realities and fostering meaningful cooperation across regions – is essential to maintaining peace. The Philippines stands ready to contribute to these efforts, anchored in the belief that a stronger, more responsive rules-based order remains the best foundation for lasting peace and shared prosperity. *Andrew J. Masigan is the MEMRI China Media Studies Project Special Advisor. He is a Manila-based economist, businessman, and political columnist for The Philippine Star. Masigan's articles in MEMRI are also published in The Philippine Star.
Memri
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at Shangri-La Conference: The Gap Between China's Words and Actions in the West Philippine Sea Is Growing
During the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, which took place on May 30-June 1, 2025 in Singapore, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to questions raised by Chinese delegates concerning maritime tensions in the region. He said that the questions were in fact 'disguised' propaganda and he highlighted the increasing gap between China's statements and its actions in the West Philippine Sea. Video footage of the session was posted to Facebook by the Philippine Department of National Defense on June 2, 2025.
Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Shangri-La Dialogue 2025: Did China really take a back seat by not sending its defence minister?
Major General Hu Gangfeng (C), Vice President of National Defense University of Chinese People's Liberation Army attends the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 31, 2025. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP) AFP Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 Did China take a back seat by not having its defence minister attend top security meet? SINGAPORE - Almost everyone was talking about China at the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend. The main question: Why did Beijing opt not to send its defence minister? For the large part of the three-day security forum held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, China was not around to push back against the criticisms levied against it. But it appears that this was a calculated loss that Beijing is prepared to accept. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned China about 20 times in his speech on May 31, as he urged other countries in the Indo-Pacific to increase their defence expenditure, buy more American arms and buffer themselves against the 'threat' posed by China. French President Emmanuel Macron on May 30 invited the security policymakers and military chiefs attending the forum to think of Russia's aggression in Ukraine as what China might do to Taiwan or the Philippines. The role of the Chinese defence minister is to conduct defence diplomacy and explain China's security positions to other countries. Had he been at this weekend's top security gathering in Singapore, Beijing would have had the podium for over an hour to respond to Washington and address the concerns raised by other delegates. Not this year. For the first time since 2019, China's defence minister did not attend. This meant the platform set aside for China had to be downsized accordingly. Its delegation chief – a military scholar with the rank of a one-star general – spoke in a smaller room to a smaller audience for a shorter time than the minister would have had. He was one of five panellists at one of the three concurrent sessions at the end of the day on May 31. As the vice-president of the People's Liberation Army National Defence University, Rear-Admiral Hu Gangfeng is not involved in combat operations or policymaking. He gave a brief response to Mr Hegseth's speech, dismissing his criticisms as 'unfounded accusations' and going against the spirit of the forum, to reduce and not magnify differences. The Chinese embassy in Singapore, which belongs to the ministry of foreign affairs and usually remains backstage at the defence ministry-driven Shangri-La Dialogue, made the unusual move of posting a response to Mr Hegseth's speech on its Facebook page, describing it as 'steeped in provocations and instigation' and a relentless hyping of the China threat. But China's overall response to its critics at the forum this year was markedly low-key compared with the year before. In 2024, the Chinese defence ministry officials briefed reporters hours after then US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin gave his speech; Minister Dong Jun held court at a plenary session the next day; and just before the forum ended, four or five military experts stood in different corners of a hotel room to answer journalists' questions almost in a speed-dating format. Did China shoot itself in the foot by ceding the space at the annual forum for the US to run with its narrative of rallying allies and partners in the region against Beijing? Not necessarily. A Chinese security expert explained that while the delivery style may differ, whoever represents China at the forum is expected to deliver the same talking points that have been pre-cleared by the senior leadership, at the apex of which is President Xi Jinping, the de facto commander-in-chief. He declined to be named as he was not cleared to speak to the media. Rear-Adm Hu alluded to this on May 31 when pressed to explain the absence of the defence minister: 'Objectively speaking, I'm the appointed person today to convey our thinking and exchange views with you all. I suppose you would've heard clearly our true thinking.' He argued that China's representation at the forum changes over the years, and this variance should be seen as a 'perfectly normal work arrangement that does not impact the actual efficacy of our sharing of defence policy thinking'. But this does not mean that China has given up on the Shangri-La Dialogue and will never send its defence minister again. Rear-Adm Hu reaffirmed that China still values and sees the forum as a 'very good platform to engage and discuss with all parties about regional cooperation in Asia-Pacific'. This raises the question – if so, why didn't Beijing send its top defence diplomat here? Observers have proffered a number of theories for Admiral Dong's no-show. A likely explanation is that since the leaders of China and the US have not talked and decided at the highest level on how to manage the bilateral relations, which are fractious across trade, politics and security, there is not much that their defence ministers can meet and talk about, in practical terms. Having bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the forum in the third-party ground of Singapore is the other main purpose of being here, besides to speak at the forum. For example, when Adm Dong attended the forum in 2024 for the first time as defence minister, his bilateral meetings with the then Defence Secretary was crucial for a reset of China-US military ties, which had stalled after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China by visiting Taiwan in 2022. Given the uncertainty and unpredictability of bilateral ties, China may have opted for a conservative, wait-and-see approach this year by sending a lower-level representation. Another supplementary consideration is: While Adm Dong appeared to have been in the clear after reportedly being questioned for corruption last year, rumours of other generals being investigated for corruption continue to surface . The absence of high-level military officials would forestall awkward questions, even in casual conversation . As with many things related to the Communist Party of China, the full picture may never emerge. Two scholars in the official Chinese delegation confessed to The Straits Times that they simply did not know the reason Adm Dong did not attend this year's forum. For this year, Mr Hegseth gets the spotlight all to himself. Yew Lun Tian is a senior foreign correspondent who covers China for The Straits Times. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US expanding military ties with India, says US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, backs deeper QUAD role
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (AP) US defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said the United States is expanding its security partnership with India, calling for deeper cooperation within the QUAD alliance to counter growing threats in the Indo-Pacific. 'We're also expanding our security partnership with India through robust military exercises like Tiger Triumph,' Hegseth said. 'And we're also amplifying cooperation within the Quad and other multilateral frameworks.' Also read: US warns China is 'preparing' to use military force in Asia Hegseth made clear that the US sees logistical integration among QUAD partners as a key step forward. 'Within the Quad, we're also leading an initiative called the Indo Pacific Logistics Network, enabling QUAD partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo Pacific,' he said. 'You know, they say rookies talk strategy, pros talk logistics.' LIVE: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2025 in Singapore. The Defence Secretary's remarks come amid a broader push by the Trump administration to reinforce its strategic footprint in the Indo-Pacific and to assure allies of America's commitment to countering China's military ambitions, particularly regarding Taiwan. 'These exercises enhance our lethality while improving our readiness to respond at a moment's notice,' Hegseth added, referencing joint military drills like Towson Sabre with Australia and Cobra Gold in Thailand. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo He also said that the US-led Partnership for Indo Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPER), which involves 14 allies and partners collaborating with the private sector to bolster industrial and defence supply chains. 'I'm proud to announce the first PIPER project,' Hegseth said. 'It plans to establish repair capability and capacity for P8 radar systems in Australia… \[and] will also enable Indo Pacific allies and partners operating the aircraft, including New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, to repair aircraft within the region.' A second PIPER initiative will create standards for small unmanned aerial systems and increase supply chain resilience for their critical components. Hegseth described these steps as essential to deterring adversaries and ensuring that multinational forces have sustained combat support. 'It's one thing for an adversary to see multinational forces operating together in exercises,' he said. 'It's another thing entirely for that same country to see an integrated defence industrial base supporting those forces and standing ready to keep them in the fight.' Speaking in broader terms, Hegseth framed the Trump administration's foreign policy as pragmatic and focused on mutual self-interest. 'President Trump's approach is grounded in common sense and national interest... We are not here to pressure other countries to embrace or adopt policies or ideologies,' he told the summit. 'We are all sovereign nations.' He further stressed the importance of like-minded allies taking more responsibility for regional defence. 'Ultimately, a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' Hegseth said. 'China envies what we have together.'
