Dong Jun

Chinese defence chief skirts flashpoints at Xiangshan Forum ahead of Xi-Trump summit

16 Sep 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Defence chief Dong Jun omits Taiwan in milder Xiangshan Forum address

Retired PLA colonel says defence minister’s speech signals growing confidence and lower tension with US.

16 Sep 2026 - 11:19AMvideocam

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun attends the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Wednesday. Photo: X.com/XiangshanForum

China’s military

Fragility and cooperation: takeaways from Dong Jun’s Xiangshan Forum speech

The Chinese defence minister officially opens the security conference with a warning about ‘zero-sum’ mindsets.

16 Sep 2026 - 2:51PMvideocam

Mainland China

Xiangshan Forum: China’s defence chief on security in a fragile world – as it happened

Dong Jun makes no mention of Taiwan or the South China Sea in his address, just days before the US-China summit.

16 Sep 2026 - 12:01PM

Singapore

Singapore’s Chan Chun Sing to visit China, speak at defence forum

The three-day visit comes at the invitation of Chinese defence chief Dong Jun and underscores both countries’ ‘warm and friendly’ ties.

14 Sep 2026 - 10:25PM

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 30. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Exclusive | Senior Pentagon official for China to lead US delegation to Xiangshan Forum

Cynthia ‘Xanthi’ Carras to attend Beijing’s largest annual high-level security and defence conference.

11 Sep 2026 - 12:03AM

Will other Southeast Asian countries copy Indonesia’s joint China drill?

The recent exercise in strategically sensitive waters east of Taiwan may set a precedent for other Asean members.

21 Aug 2026 - 7:57PMvideocam

Pentagon official hails ‘stronger’ military ties with PLA at anniversary event

Speaking at the Chinese embassy, US deputy assistant defence secretary Alvaro Smith says ‘clear, steady progress’ is being made.

29 Jul 2026 - 3:36PM

Pentagon official Alvaro Smith (left) with Chinese ambassador Xie Feng (centre) and defence attaché Major General Liu Zhan at China’s embassy in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: qq.com

The Philippines

Sanctioned but defiant: Philippine defence chief says China talks ‘not possible’

Blacklisted by Beijing, a defiant Gilberto Teodoro Jnr demands China ‘get out’ of waters Manila claims.

11 Jul 2026 - 11:00AM

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr speaks to the media after a signing ceremony in Ottawa, Canada, last month. Photo: The Canadian Press/AP

China’s Communist Party

What a seating chart reveals about the future of China’s military leadership

Two generals appear near top PLA officers at a high-profile event, signalling their swift rise to fill gaps left by anti-graft campaign.

3 Jul 2026 - 9:00AM

Editorial | Shangri-La Dialogue has outlived its usefulness for China

While Washington and Beijing softened their rhetoric this year, the US-dominated forum is exhausting its function as a space for engagement.

3 Jun 2026 - 7:15AM

China-UK relations

Exclusive | Chinese, UK delegations discuss military engagement at Shangri-La Dialogue

Major General Meng Xiangqing invites British military officials to Xiangshan Forum and Zhuhai air show in China.

30 May 2026 - 9:26PMvideocam

Major General Meng Xiangqing, who is leading the Chinese delegation to Asia’s largest defence summit, meets with British military officials on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Hegseth at Asia defence gathering, China-EU tensions, Computex

This week: US allies wait to hear from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Singapore, EU works on China trade measures and Huawei announces chip advance. Next week: Computex is held in Taiwan, China reveals PMI, UK foreign minister visits Beijing, and more.

29 May 2026 - 5:00PM

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth. Photo: AFP

What to watch at Shangri-La Dialogue after Trump’s China visit resets ties

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s speech at Asian security forum to serve as important gauge of whether summit has stabilised US-China relations.

27 May 2026 - 8:44PM

China’s military

China defence chief Dong Jun tipped to skip this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue

The regional security forum opens on Friday in Singapore with no official word yet on who will lead the Chinese delegation.

26 May 2026 - 9:17PMvideocam

Salute to China? Protocol-perfect Trump charms social media as he meets Xi

US and Chinese leaders project close rapport on day 1 of summit, as body language expert notes deferential ‘softer approach’ from Trump.

14 May 2026 - 9:37PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump salutes China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun (second left) as President Xi Jinping and top Chinese officials look on, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AFP

The longest day – how the Xi-Trump summit reset China-US ties in 12 hours

The two leaders follow a morning of talks with a tour of the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet.

14 May 2026 - 8:41PMvideocam

What does Pete Hegseth’s presence in China say about Trump’s military agenda?

US arms sales to Taiwan, nuclear weapons and military-to-military communication will be among topics discussed, experts say.

13 May 2026 - 9:36PMvideocam

US defence secretary joins Trump on China trip in rare diplomatic move

Pete Hegseth becomes first Pentagon chief to accompany a US president to Beijing since Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit.

13 May 2026 - 10:16PMvideocam

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate on Tuesday regarding the White House’s proposed military budget. Photo: Getty Images

China calls on Cambodia for ‘shared security and risks’ during global turmoil

Defence and foreign ministers meet in Phnom Penh after Hun Manet describes China as a ‘most important and most trustworthy good friend’.

23 Apr 2026 - 5:06PMvideocam

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (from left) and Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian deputy prime minister, and Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha. Photo: Handout/Agence Kampuchea Press

South China Sea

Why China and Vietnam are shifting from confrontation to calm in South China Sea

Disagreements continue, but the two sides are showing notable restraint in contrast with Beijing’s fierce exchanges with Manila.

2 Apr 2026 - 5:44PMvideocam

China, Vietnam agree to live-fire drills in naval exercise boost

Agreement between naval commanders ahead of 40th joint exercise comes as Vietnamese leader To Lam hails ties with China as ‘top priority’.

17 Mar 2026 - 7:24PMvideocam

China’s military drills

In joint patrols with China, Vietnam steers course between 2 powers

The Gulf of Tonkin will be the backdrop this week for naval activities despite a five-decade maritime dispute.

16 Mar 2026 - 10:45AMvideocam

Vessels from Chinese and Vietnamese navies take part in a joint patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin in November last year. Photo: Xinhua