At Western-led summit, Chinese find controversy and a clash of cultures
After another war of words with the US at the Shangri-La Dialogue, delegates say they feel frustrated and compelled to fight back when criticised
A war of words between China and the United States at a regional security summit over the weekend has again highlighted the difficulty a rising China faces as it tries to navigate the international system and engage in dialogue with the West.
Beijing’s low-level delegation found itself at the centre of controversy during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore – an annual forum for Asia attended by defence ministers and other officials from more than 50 countries – when it hit back at US criticism over its increasingly assertive stance, particularly in the South China Sea.
On Saturday, after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis rebuked Beijing in a speech over its militarisation in the contested waters, Chinese Lieutenant General He Lei, vice-president of the Academy of Military Science, took an equally tough line – saying the US was the real source of conflict in the region.
Behind the scenes, Chinese delegates said they were at a disadvantage at the forum and felt their voices were ignored because it was dominated by Western countries, with different ideologies, who led the narrative.