The main goal of the US at this event is to reaffirm its leading role in addressing important defense issues. The US may also ask its Asian allies to support its actions in Ukraine.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, the largest annual security event in the Asia-Pacific region, is taking place in Singapore from May 31 to June 2. The event brings together defense and intelligence leaders from dozens of countries, including the United States, Britain and China. This time, all eyes are on the first face-to-face meeting between the US and Chinese defense ministers. Both sides are seeking to expand their influence in the Asia-Pacific. In addition, the West is taking advantage of this event to persuade Asian countries to support Ukraine, the Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on June 1.
"The Shangri-La Dialogue has become an important international forum for China to present its views to its partners in the Asia-Pacific region. Beijing's growing ambitions are clearly pushing it to defend its achievements while seeking new opportunities that were previously out of reach," said Alexander Mokretsky, a senior researcher at the Russia, China, World Center at the Institute of Modern China and Asia at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict will also be discussed at the event. “A year after Russia’s special military operation, Beijing has developed and put forward a peace plan for Ukraine as part of its global security initiative. Li Hui, special envoy of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and former Chinese ambassador to Moscow, has been clarifying this plan through various channels. Along with other senior officials, as the conflict continues, issues surrounding Ukraine will be discussed at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum,” Mokretsky noted.
For his part, Professor Saeed Khan of Wayne State University in Detroit told Izvestia that the main goal of the US at the event is to reaffirm its leading role in resolving important defense issues. The US may also ask its Asian allies to support its actions in Ukraine.
However, so far, the West has not been very successful in convincing Asian countries, with only Japan, South Korea and Singapore - that is, pro-American countries - introducing sanctions against Russia at this time.