French President Emmanuel Macron will inaugurate the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, joining U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other global defense leaders to discuss pressing international security challenges. The conference will concentrate on China's rising assertiveness, the ramifications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and escalating conflicts across Asia.
Macron’s keynote address on Friday evening is anticipated to address these critical issues, alongside concerns surrounding the high tariffs imposed on Asian allies by the former U.S. administration. Meanwhile, Hegseth is attending the dialogue for the first time, underscoring the event’s significance amid intensifying tension between Beijing and Washington.
China’s increasing military activities near Taiwan—including naval and aerial deployments—add urgency to discussions at the forum. Taiwan’s status remains a flashpoint, with Beijing asserting sovereignty over the island and considering the use of force, while the United States has expressed firm commitment to Taiwan’s defense, as reiterated by Hegseth before departing for Singapore.
Unlike previous years when China’s defense minister attended, this year China is sending a reportedly lower-tier delegation, a move that has attracted speculation but no official explanation. The forum occurs amid broader regional instability, including ongoing civil strife in Myanmar, recent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, and the recent near-conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
France maintains significant strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region, where over 1.6 million French citizens reside in overseas territories. The country has also emphasized the need to uphold a rules-based international order in response to China’s expanding influence. France’s Indo-Pacific naval presence recently included a five-month carrier strike group deployment to assert freedom of navigation.
As democracies in the region bolster support for Ukraine, the complex strategic environment is further complicated by China’s growing support for Russia and North Korea’s troop deployments to aid Moscow. The Shangri-La Dialogue thus serves as a critical platform for fostering cooperation among nations committed to regional stability and security.
