Key Takeaways From the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue

CNBC reported Sunday that defense budgets, China’s posture in the Asia-Pacific, and the battlefield lessons of Ukraine commanded the agenda at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore. The annual security summit, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, ran from May 29 to 31.

Defense Spending Becomes a Rare Point of Consensus

One of the clearest signals to emerge from Singapore was a near-universal acceptance among attending nations that higher defense outlays are no longer optional. Japan, the Philippines, and the Netherlands all flagged planned budget increases. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly called for member nations to commit at least 3.5% of GDP to defense. Even countries that currently fall short of that threshold, including New Zealand, signaled movement in that direction. Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius acknowledged the US push was justified, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine as a turning point in domestic public opinion. Canadian Defense Chief Gen. Jennie Carignan framed collective capability as dependent on each nation first securing its own defense footing.

China’s Absence at the Ministerial Level Draws Sharp Criticism

For the second consecutive year, Beijing declined to send its defense minister to the forum. The delegation was instead headed by Major General Meng Xiangqing of the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University. Hegseth noted publicly that he wished his Chinese counterpart had attended. Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the absence left him genuinely disappointed and pressed for deeper engagement with Beijing. Germany’s chief of defense, General Carsten Breuer, argued China was forfeiting a valuable diplomatic opportunity. Philippine National Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro was blunter, telling CNBC that China’s reduced presence amounted to little more than promoting a party line.

Lessons From Ukraine Resonating Across the Indo-Pacific

The war in Ukraine, though geographically distant, cast a long shadow over discussions in Singapore. Participants drew direct parallels between European deterrence failures and the strategic calculations now facing Asia-Pacific nations. The conflict reinforced arguments for domestic industrial capacity and interoperability among allies.

Sharp Exchanges Despite Lower-Level Chinese Presence

Beijing’s smaller delegation did not translate into a quieter posture. Meng publicly questioned regional trust in Japan’s military expansion, invoking World War II history. Former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai reiterated Beijing’s position that Taiwan is a matter of territorial sovereignty. Koizumi countered by criticizing China’s lack of military transparency, while Hegseth warned that Beijing’s buildup was generating legitimate concern across the region.

Read Next: US-China Trade Truce Holds as Both Sides Return to the Table