China’s participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore was markedly reduced compared to previous years, signalling a deliberate step back from the high-profile presence it once maintained. 

Traditionally, Chinese defence ministers and senior officials have headlined the forum, often delivering combative rhetoric. This year, however, Beijing’s delegation was limited to Major General Meng Xiangqing, a professor at the PLA’s National Defence University, and Cui Tiankai, a former vice minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The absence of senior figures was notable, especially given the fate of former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, who were detained and handed suspended death sentences. The delegation was even lighter than last year’s, which had been led by Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the International Institute of Strategic Studies, ran from 29–31 May. Vietnam’s President To Lam delivered the keynote address, while US War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a special address. China’s reduced presence limited its ability to dominate the narrative, though its representatives still reiterated familiar arguments.

Meng, speaking on strategic stability, warned of rising risks of nuclear conflict and lamented the erosion of arms control regimes. He pointed to the USA and Russia as the primary culprits, noting their combined 83% share of deployable nuclear warheads.

Yet China itself is rapidly expanding its arsenal, with SIPRI estimating 620 warheads in 2026, up from 600 in 2024, and projecting that China could match the intercontinental ballistic missile numbers of the US or Russia by the decade’s end. Despite this, Meng insisted that the largest nuclear powers must resume disarmament, while China continues to avoid joining any treaty.

Meng also criticised global governance as dysfunctional, claiming multilateral mechanisms were undermined by bullying tactics. He invoked Xi Jinping’s global security and governance initiatives, promoting multilateralism and “Chinese wisdom.”

Yet this rhetoric contrasted sharply with China’s domestic repression, exemplified by the suppression of Tiananmen Square commemorations, and its disregard for international rulings such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s rejection of its South China Sea claims.

Meng further attacked the AUKUS alliance and Japan’s constitutional revisions, accusing Tokyo of failing to overcome its militarist past. Japan’s Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro responded firmly, rejecting accusations of “new militarism” and highlighting Japan’s consistent adherence to international law and its peace-oriented path since 1945. He emphasised Japan’s openness to dialogue and dismissed China’s claims as unfounded.

Cui Tiankai, participating in a session on littoral security, stressed principles of sovereignty, peaceful negotiation, and mutual accommodation. However, his words rang hollow against China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, including harassment of Philippine vessels and construction on Scarborough Shoal.

Cui distinguished “partnerships” from alliances, portraying the former as inclusive and cooperative, while criticising alliances as exclusive and confrontational.

Agencies