Singapore is hosting the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue a government security summit held annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
The gathering brings together prime ministers, defense ministers, senior military commanders, as well as defense and security policy makers from various countries of the world. It is attended by 45 countries and 49 representatives at the ministerial level.
The 21st Shangri-La Dialogue currently being guided by the theme “Cross-Regional Security Order Challenges”.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun delivered a speech on China’s approach to global security on Sunday at the gathering.
Dong highlighted the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative in his address.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned China on Sunday for helping Russia.
“Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin,” Zelenskyy said.
“We are moving into the Global Peace Summit so every leader and every country can show their commitment to peace,” he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters May 31 the summit has not met the conditions proposed by China, which is that both Russia and Ukraine should take part in the meeting.
China has thus decided to skip the peace summit.
“There is an apparent gap between the meeting’s arrangement and what China stands for as well as the universal expectation in the international community,” she said, adding that China has shared its concerns with relevant parties while vowing to keep promoting peace talks in its own way.
