- Asia’s top security summit, hosted in Singapore, opens against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions and questions about US priorities in the region
The highly anticipated IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 officially began on Friday in Singapore, bringing together some of the world’s most powerful defense officials, military commanders, diplomats, and strategic experts for three days of high-level security discussions.
Organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the summit opens Friday, May 29, with bilateral meetings, an opening reception, and a keynote address by Vietnamese President Tô Lâm during the official opening dinner.
Washington’s strategic priorities, alongside China’s rapid military modernisation and growing assertiveness in the region, are also expected to dominate discussions over the three-day forum.
The summit will bring together representatives from 44 countries, including 54 ministerial-level delegates and more than 42 chief of defence forces and senior defence officials from across the Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The 2026 summit comes at a tense moment in international affairs, with ongoing concerns over the South China Sea, the Russia-Ukraine war, cyber warfare threats, Middle East instability, and increasing military competition among global powers. Defence chiefs and senior officials from Japan, Australia, France, Qatar, Malaysia, India, Germany, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and several other nations are scheduled to participate.
Several special sessions will examine nuclear stability, maritime security, defence-industrial resilience, and cross-regional security threats as nations attempt to navigate an increasingly fragmented global order.
Widely regarded as Asia’s premier defence summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue has evolved into one of the world’s most influential security forums, often shaping future military cooperation and strategic policy discussions across the Indo-Pacific region.
Global attention is expected to focus heavily on Saturday’s plenary session, where U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will outline Washington’s strategy for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing geopolitical tensions with China.
Regional allies will be watching for assurance that the US remains committed to the Indo-Pacific, amid concerns that Washington could be overstretched or increasingly distracted.
“There will likely be some continued anxiety over the unpredictability and volatility of US policy, and the consequences for stability,” said Chong Ja Ian, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore.
The Iran war has thrown the global economy into disarray, driving up oil prices and feeding inflationary pressures across Asia’s import-dependent economies.
“The most pressing issue for Asia would be the US-Israel-Iran conflict and its effects on energy supply,” he told Reuters.
Meia Nouwens from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said security developments are now directly affecting energy flows and economic stability in Asia.
“Security … is having a direct impact on energy security, energy flows to this part of the world, that’s impacting economies and growth,” she told CNA’s Asia First on Friday.
“I imagine lots of countries will be asking questions about this at the Shangri-La Dialogue, questions around commitments to this part of the world as well,” said the senior fellow for Chinese security and defence policy.
Despite the concerns, Nouwen said she expects the US’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific to remain firm and that will be the key message that the US would want to send.
