China will send a delegation from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defence University to the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore from May 29 to 31, according to China’s defence ministry.

The delegation will be led by Meng Xiangqing of the PLA National Defence University, defence ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said during a press briefing on Thursday.

Defence Minister Absent Again

The announcement also means Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun will skip the Shangri-La Dialogue for the second consecutive year.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, held annually in Singapore, is regarded as Asia’s premier defence and security forum, bringing together military chiefs, defence ministers and strategic experts from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

China’s decision to send a lower-level delegation instead of its defence minister is likely to draw attention amid rising regional tensions and growing scrutiny over Beijing’s military posture in the Indo-Pacific.

(with inputs from Reuters)