Singapore summit highlights quasi-war atmosphere looming over Asia

China turns down Zelenskyy offer to meet at Shangri-La Dialogue

20240604 zelenskyy in singapore

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gestures as he speaks during a news conference on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2. © Reuters

HIROYUKI AKITA, Nikkei commentator

SINGAPORE -- The annual Asia Security Summit known as the Shangri-La Dialogue was held in Singapore over the weekend amid growing fears of a geopolitical crisis.

The summit typically brings together defense ministers and military officials mainly from the U.S. and Indo-Pacific nations, with most of the discussions devoted to regional security issues, such as the U.S.-China conflict. This year, however, was different. The Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two conflicts with no end in sight, repeatedly came up at the meeting, with many expressing concerns about their impact on Asia.

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