China is expected to skip sending Defence Minister Dong Jun to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore for a second straight year, according to multiple reports citing people familiar with the matter. None of the outlets provide official confirmation of the delegation head, and as of the latest coverage there is no official word on who will lead the Chinese delegation. Instead, China is set to send a lower-level People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation to the defence and security forum, which opens on Friday and runs through Sunday.
The Singapore-based dialogue, now in its 23rd edition, brings together defence ministers, military leaders, diplomats and analysts. One report also says Beijing is sending a defence university delegation for a second straight year. Separate coverage notes that China’s Defence Minister is not attending even as the forum includes speeches by other senior officials, with the US defence secretary scheduled to speak.
Overall, the accounts agree that Dong Jun does not attend and China’s representation is at a lower level, with the precise composition and leadership still pending official confirmation.
