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| Image: Flickr user - Ash Carter |
By Shannon Tiezzi
The Chinese representative’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue is exactly what we expected.
On May 31, China’s representative to the Shangri-La Dialogue delivered his speech, entitled “Jointly Safeguard Peace and Build A Secure Asia-Pacific Region.” Though highly anticipated, the speech by Admiral Sun Jianguo, deputy chief of staff of the PLA General Staff, did little to break new ground, instead repeating previous statements and comments about China’s peaceful intentions and the legality of its land reclamation and construction projects in the disputed South China Sea. [And in case you missed it, The Diplomat has an analysis of U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s speech on our Asia Defense blog].
China was once again the odd country out this year, the only major Asia-Pacific power not to send its minister of defense to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue. United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Cater made the trip, as did the defense ministers of Cambodia, Germany. Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K. Sun, with a rank equivalent to a regional military commander, is of decidedly lower status (although, according to Bo Zhiyue, Sun is a top contender for the post of PLA Navy commander in 2017).
Read the full story at The Diplomat