During the Q&A session that followed the speech, Li addressed China’s interception of foreign vessels and planes. “Why do all of the questions concern the proximity of China’s airspace and territorial waters rather than those of other countries?” Because China’s military planes and warships never visit other nations’ airspace or territorial seas in order to exert ‘navigation hegemony.’”
Li stated that the best approach to avoid similar problems in the future is for countries’ naval vessels and fighter planes to refrain from conducting “close-in actions” over the territory of other countries. Among the military delegations, the Chinese PLA mission, which included 50 personnel, drew the attention of all parties.
During the Shangri-La Dialogue, Li noted amicable interactions with defense ministers and other officials from 11 countries, and all of these parties agreed on the importance of more frequent, deeper, and more extended military exchanges.
Prior to the Shangri-La Dialogue’s opening ceremony, Li Shangfu met with Ng Eng Hen in Singapore, where they saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Establishment of a Secure Defense Telephone Link between the bilateral defense ministries. On June 3, Li met with Japan Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada. In the afternoon of the same day, he met with ROK Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup.
Maintaining meaningful communication is important for managing disputes and avoiding miscalculations in the midst of the increasingly difficult dynamics of China-Japan ties and the regional environment.
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Meetings with defense departments of other countries and international organizations by the Chinese delegation demonstrated its active participation in the joint management of regional affairs, as well as its willingness to sit down and share its views and constructive solutions on existing issues with all parties.
The Chinese delegation’s accompanying specialists demonstrated their openness and confidence by addressing every question from Chinese and foreign journalists, throughout the event. Participation at the Shangri-La Dialogue reflects the Chinese military’s decisive move and steadfast commitment to “go global.”
Raihan Ronodipuro is a Master’s Degree student in the School of Public Policy & Management at Tsinghua University, China. Previously, he was awarded the Chinese MOFCOM Scholarship and earned a Master of Law in International Relations from the School of International and Public Affairs at Jilin University in China. He serves as an Associate Researcher in the Department of Politics and Security at the Center for Indonesia-China Studies (CICS). He is presently a member of the International Relations Commission at the Directorate of Research and Studies for the Overseas Indonesian Students’ Association Alliance (OISAA) 2022/2023.