Nearly 600 diplomats, politicians, policy experts, and academics from 40 countries descended on Singapore last week for the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual meeting focused on Indo-Pacific geopolitics, defence and security, and U.S.–China relations.
In a speech, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth repeatedly framed Washington’s Indo-Pacific approach as “strong, quiet, and clear.” Paraphrasing U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, Hegseth maintained that Washington is content to “speak and walk softly while carrying a big stick.”
In his address, Hegseth acknowledged “rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup,” a tight-rope remark designed to soothe allies without aggravating Beijing. China’s defence minister skipped the summit for the second year in a row, frustrating some attendees who regard the event as a rare opportunity for Indo-Pacific defence chiefs to be in the same room. Hegseth argued that U.S.–China relations are “better than they’ve been in many years,” following the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He also applauded South Korea as a “model ally,” pointing to Seoul’s “greater responsibility for its conventional defence.” He also praised almost every American ally in the Indo-Pacific — save for Canada — including Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hegseth’s talk was less confrontational than U.S. rhetoric towards Europe, for example, but familiar tensions lingered in Singapore; China’s military buildup, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and burden-sharing featured prominently. Japan’s defence minister, Koizumi Shinjiro, was particularly vocal this year, rejecting Chinese accusations of Japanese “militarism,” arguing instead that China’s rapid military buildup is driving regional concern. Notably, Vietnam’s president, To Lam, was the guest of honour and delivered the keynote address. Lam continued on to the Philippines afterwards, for a state visit, yet another sign of deepening regional diplomacy.
Under the sea
At the summit, there was a distinct focus on the seabed and subsea cables, which are increasingly seen as critical infrastructure (and high-value targets). In Singapore, Australia, the U.S., and the U.K. announced a new AUKUS ‘Pillar Two’ initiative to develop uncrewed undersea vehicles to help protect subsea cables, the first signature project under this pillar.
Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, acknowledged this threat, warning that “the seabed has become a major field of contest over the past 18 months,” noting that Taiwan reported five cases of seabed cable damage in 2025 alone. An estimated 99 per cent of Australia’s internet traffic flows through only 15 subsea cables.
As APF Canada’s Jeehye Kim, Hyun Kim, and Mei Terasawa noted in 2025, “despite growing awareness, Canada’s current capacity to protect and respond to potential attacks on its seabed infrastructure remains limited.” While partnerships with NATO allies remain a priority, they suggest, “Canada should also consider deeper engagement with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea.”
In addition to the AUKUS announcement, 17 countries launched the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges (GUIDE). The framework is a voluntary, non-financially binding agreement focused on enhancing the security of critical underwater infrastructure. While Canada was not invited to the development or launch, it's expected that GUIDE will be open to broader participation.
Carignan represents Canada
Canada’s defence minister, David McGuinty, did not attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, the second year in a row that Ottawa hasn’t sent a minister. This year, Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Jennie Carignan, was the highest-ranking Canadian delegate. Under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canadian defence ministers attended every Shangri-La Dialogue from 2016–24.
Ottawa made waves last week after sending HMCS Charlottetown through the Taiwan Strait on May 22–23. The move — coming just days before Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to Ottawa — ended speculation over whether Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would continue the long-standing practice, in light of a new “strategic partnership” with China. Notably, neither side mentioned the transit in readouts following Wang’s visit, suggesting that both want to “seek common ground while reserving differences,” as China’s readout put it.
On Monday in Ottawa, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, Anita Anand, addressed all of Canada’s heads of mission. She discussed the importance of “purpose-built" middle-power coalitions, explicitly naming Australia, Japan, and South Korea. She also identified “economic security and trade diversification” as the government’s main focus.
