Advertisement
As I see it | China should keep on going to forums like the Shangri-La Dialogue – even if it doesn’t like what it hears
- A Chinese delegate said the Singapore security forum was ‘dominated by the US and its allies’ and seemed to suggest that China might not take part in future
- But that would not be in Beijing’s best interests as such forums offer valuable insights, opportunities for diplomacy, and a platform for China to air its views
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
9
Zhou Xiaozhuo sounded like he was making a veiled threat when he said that the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore served “the interest of the United States and its allies”.
The People’s Liberation Army representative and senior fellow of its Academy of Military Sciences gave the impression that China might be reluctant to attend future sessions.
I hope that was not his or his country’s intention.
Why would China want to be excluded from forums that have actively sought its participation?
There are already enough groupings, or what Beijing calls “cliques”, that deliberately seek to ostracise China – from the recently revived Quad, to Aukus, to the US-instigated Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
At a time of heightened ideological contestation and deepening great power rivalry, it is in Beijing’s best interest to hear what its adversaries have to say, even if the messages are not always palatable.
Advertisement