By Rory Medcalf
Behind the surface politeness, the event had more than a few subtle reminders of deep schisms in the Asian security landscape.
To the untrained ear, the speeches at Indo-Pacific Asia’s largest informal defense gathering last weekend were full of confidence about a peaceful and prosperous future.
But the most important messages of the Shangri-La Dialogue were elsewhere. They could be found among the barbs of etiquette, the clues between the lines, the whispers in the corridors, the things unsaid and the questions unanswered.
And they add up to worrisome news about many aspects of the regional security picture. When key powers the United States, China and Japan are speaking publicly in parallel monologues or defining fundamental strategic challenges in starkly different terms, the whole region clearly has a deep security problem.
Read the full story at The Diplomat