China softens rhetoric at Shangri-La Dialogue, avoids US criticism

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, China’s delegation struck a notably conciliatory tone compared to previous years. Major General Meng Xiangqing, head of the Chinese delegation, warned against “hegemonism” and “bloc confrontation” from unspecified “certain countries” but stopped short of directly naming the United States. Speaking during a session on strategic stability, Meng—a professor at the PLA National Defence University—acknowledged US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier remarks about the recent Xi-Trump summit in Beijing. “We also hope that China and the United States will move towards each other … promote the development of military-to-military relations along a healthy, stable and sustainable path,” Meng said.

Hegseth himself adopted a softer line on China compared to his speech last year, reinforcing the shift in tone following the top-level bilateral meeting. The softened rhetoric from both sides marks a departure from the tense exchanges that characterized the dialogue in recent years, though underlying regional risks—such as the South China Sea and Taiwan—remain unresolved. The mutual call for constructive military relations suggests a tentative de-escalation, but analysts caution that concrete agreements remain absent.