US Defense Secretary to Attend Shangri-La Dialogue Next Month... Possible Contact with Chinese Security Chief

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will attend the Asian Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue) held in Singapore next month.

According to a press release distributed by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) on the 27th, "U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will deliver a major policy speech on June 11 regarding the United States' security policy toward the Indo-Pacific at the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore from June 10 to 12."

The IISS added, "This year's Shangri-La Dialogue, held amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and escalating competition between the U.S. and China, will provide an important opportunity for over 40 countries' delegations to directly discuss global security policies with policymakers."

James Crabtree, head of the IISS Asia branch, also said, "We are very grateful that Secretary Austin is attending at this critical time for the global security order."

The 'Shangri-La Dialogue' is a security event where the security chiefs of major Asia-Pacific countries such as Korea, the U.S., China, and Japan gather.

Organized by the IISS, it has been held annually in Singapore since 2002 but was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IISS expects about 500 participants, including security policy officials from various countries, to attend this year's event.

With Secretary Austin's attendance at Shangri-La confirmed, attention is expected to focus on the attendance of Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and the meeting between the U.S. and Chinese security chiefs.

Earlier, on June 3 (local time), Secretary Austin appeared at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing and said, "I look forward to meeting him in the near future and am confident we will meet at the June Shangri-La Dialogue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.