In the ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel, where defense ministers and senior military officials from more than 40 countries gather each year to address Asia's most pressing security challenges, something unexpected happened this time: the U.S. Secretary of Defense sounded almost conciliatory toward China.
The 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, held from May 29 to 31, is Asia's premier defense and security summit. More than 550 delegates from 44 countries attended this year's event, which took place just two weeks after President Trump's state visit to Beijing.
Speaking from the plenary stage on Saturday morning, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the audience: "Under President Trump's leadership, relations between the United States and China are better than they've been in many years." He added that the Trump administration seeks "a stable peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China."
It was a stark departure from last year. In 2025, Hegseth's maiden Shangri-La address adopted a much sharper tone—he warned that China's military threat was "real" and "imminent," that the PLA was actively rehearsing for "the real deal" on Taiwan, and that Washington would not allow Beijing to change the status quo by force.
This year, he made no mention of Chinese Taiwan in his prepared remarks—a notable omission. (Last year he brought it up five times.) When pressed in the Q&A about future arms sales to Taiwan, Hegseth sidestepped any firm commitment, telling questioners that "any decision will rest with" President Trump and that "there is no change in our status."
Hegseth also urged allies to raise defense spending to at least 3.5 percent of GDP, praising several regional partners while criticizing European allies for being "distracted by empty globalist rhetoric about the rules-based international order."
However, Chinese voices at the forum struck a more guarded note. Former Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai, speaking on the sidelines, said the real test lies in whether U.S. actions will align with its words. "We also need to look at its actions. What we call the one-China principle—it calls the one-China policy. Anyway, one China is one China, right? It needs to align its words with its actions."
Others echoed the sense of cautious optimism. Singapore's former UN ambassador Bilahari Kausikan described the new dynamic bluntly: "You are in a competitive relationship, but you want to stabilize the competition to make it less dangerous—but you're not gonna stop competing."
Malaysia's Dr. Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser at the Pacific Research Centre, offered a more interest-based interpretation of the Trump approach: major powers will pursue their own interests, but "as long as both sides can reach an agreement on this and make some compromises, then the matter can be settled."
Whether this softer tone marks a genuine reset or merely a tactical recalibration remains to be seen. For now, delegates left the ballroom with a lingering question: Is this simply a change in rhetoric, or the beginning of something more lasting? The answer, as Cui put it, will depend on the actions that follow.
Guo Zedong and Zeng Xiangxing, reporting from Singapore.
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video: Zeng Xiangxing
Cover: Cheng Hong
