• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Explainer: Why didn't China send higher-ranking officials to attend 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue?

Global Times

By Guo Yuandan in Singapore Published: May 30, 2025 08:16 AM

At the invitation of Singapore, a delegation from the National Defense University of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will attend the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue from Thursday to Monday, and visit relevant military and civilian institutions in Singapore, announced China's Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang at a regular press conference on Thursday. In response to attention over why the Chinese delegation is being led by representatives from the National Defense University rather than by higher-ranking military officials, experts told the Global Times on Thursday that regardless of the level of the delegation, China's participation at the Shangri-La Dialogue always draws high attention, reflecting the country's growing global influence.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, is the largest defense and security forum in the Asia-Pacific and one of the most prominent international forums with strong Western influence. According to its agenda, key highlights of the conference include a keynote speech by a national leader at the opening dinner, as well as speeches by the heads of the Chinese and US military delegations. This year, French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the opening, the first time for a European head of state to do so.

Since the Shangri-La Dialogue's inception in 2002, the topic of China has always occupied an indispensable place. Except for the event's cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, China has sent delegations to the dialogue every year since 2007. Zhou Bo, a senior fellow of the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University and frequent attendee of the Shangri-La Dialogue, told the Global Times on Thursday that even before his arrival in Singapore, he had already received interview requests from more than 20 international media outlets - the topics are all related to China.

The level of the Chinese delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue is closely watched every year. In fact, the delegation's composition has varied historically. According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on Thursday, China sent deputy chiefs of general staff of the PLA to attend from 2007 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2016. In 2012, 2017 and 2018, the heads of the delegations were vice presidents of the PLA Academy of Military Sciences.

Public records show that since 2011, China's Minister of National Defense has attended the Shangri-La Dialogue five times. The first such appearance was in 2011, and after a seven-year gap, China resumed sending its defense minister in 2019. Following the event's cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country once again dispatched its defense chief in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Zhou noted that "when China's defense minister attends the dialogue, it makes headlines. When they don't attend, it's also news. Either way, the attention underscores China's strong international influence."

During the Thursday press briefing by China's Ministry of National Defense, a reporter asked why China opted to send the National Defense University delegation instead of higher-level officials this year. The reporter also cited remarks from the US Department of Defense claiming that the US is a "more reliable regional partner than China" and asked for comments.

Zhang, the spokesperson, stated that China consistently participates in constructive international dialogues to explain its vision, strengthen communication, build trust and enhance cooperation with other parties, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The delegation from the PLA National Defense University will engage in in-depth exchanges with participants to foster common understanding on regional security and stability.

A military expert told the Global Times on Thursday that for years, China's military has participated in international and regional dialogues of real substance. Delegation members are selected based on operational needs, and regardless of rank or title, all participants represent the Chinese military in communicating China's vision for a shared future and its three global initiatives, as well as its foreign and defense policies and core interests.

Zhou shared a similar perspective. "Historically, China has sent representatives of varying ranks to the Shangri-La Dialogue. What matters is that their participation demonstrates the PLA's openness to dialogue and friendship with all parties," he said. "Likewise, we welcome foreign militaries and scholars to China's own platform - the Beijing Xiangshan Forum."

The expert also noted that China has successfully held 11 sessions of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which has seen growing international influence. "We all know the delegates at which level the West sends to that forum," the expert added. "This year, China's decision to send a delegation from the PLA National Defense University should not be overinterpreted."

According to public reports, the US has consistently participated in the Xiangshan Forum. In earlier years, the US delegation was led by a defense attaché from its embassy in Beijing. Later, Washington began to dispatch officials directly from the US, including the president of the National Defense University, who is also a Major General, for two years and, in 2018, a dean of one of its schools. In 2019, the Pentagon sent its first official delegation headed by a deputy assistant secretary of defense. In 2024, the US delegation was led by deputy assistant secretary of defense Michael Chase.