Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue Security Forum: Japanese Defense Minister Amplifies China's Military Spending

The 23rd Asian Security Conference is being held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. The forum derives its name from this five-star hotel, which has hosted the event since 2002. This year, over 550 delegates from 44 countries attended the conference, including more than 50 ministers and high-level officials.

Vietnam’s President To Lam and Timor-Leste’s President José Ramos-Horta became rare guests at the forum—typically, the Shangri-La Dialogue is attended by defense ministers, chief of staffs, and military analysts. For instance, China sent an academic delegation led by Professor Meng Xiangqing from the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army.

Meng Xiangqing stated during his speech that the militarization of emerging domains such as outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence is accelerating in today’s world.

The expert pointed out: "The military application of new technologies challenges traditional rules of war and military ethics, increasing the risk of uncontrolled armed forces."

He emphasized the need to actively manage these risks to avoid legal vacuums in the military domain.

He added: "Entrusting the power over life and death to algorithms could lead to technological runaway—and even turn scenarios from the Terminator movies into reality."

Japan vs. China:

Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed regret over not being able to meet with his Chinese counterpart at this year’s forum, as he did last year in Kuala Lumpur.

However, he simultaneously said that due to Tokyo’s perception of insufficient transparency, China’s military activities and defense spending are "seriously concerning."

Ishiba declared: "China continues to significantly increase its defense spending at a high level and rapidly expand its military capabilities without sufficient transparency."

Taiwan Issue Left Unanswered

During the forum, a South Korean representative directly asked Minister Ishiba whether Japan was considering providing defensive weapons to Taiwan.

The Japanese defense minister did not give a direct answer but instead shifted focus to China’s lack of transparency regarding its growing defense budget.

Minister Ishiba did not respond specifically to the question about potential arms supplies to Taiwan.

Conference Report

The organizer of this year’s conference, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), released its annual report titled *Asia-Pacific Security Assessment*. This report focuses on the Middle East conflict, which threatens global energy security due to the potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: sputniknews

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866708652216323/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.