Is Beijing covering an iron fist with a silk glove in Southeast Asia?

Chinese defense minister will likely play nice at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit

Nick Bisley and Brendan Taylor

May 30, 2019 14:01 JST

At this year's Shangri-La event, China will likely present itself as a force for stability in the South China Sea and paint the U.S. as a troublemaker. © Reuters

For the first time since 2011, China is this weekend sending its defense minister to the annual IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's top security gathering, in a move that looks like a bid to restore Beijing's strained relations with the region -- and steal a march over the U.S.