East Vietnam Sea issues to be focus of discussion at Shangri-La Dialogue
Friday, June 03, 2016, 14:51 GMT+7
Vietnam and several other nations are set to participate in the 15th annual Asia Security Summit that will take place in Singapore from June 3 to 6, during which issues regarding the East Vietnam Sea are expected to be the center of discussion.
The Vietnamese delegation led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense, has arrived in Singapore, preparing for their attendance at the three-day event, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the list of participants was slightly changed at the last minute as Minister Ngo Xuan Lich could not make it to the meeting.
Deputy Minister Vinh has replaced him and is slated to deliver an important speech at the summit on Sunday.
The official is also scheduled to convene bilateral meetings with defense officials from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy on the sidelines of the dialogue.
According to observations by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Thursday afternoon, preparations were being expedited for the commencement of the event on Friday evening, with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha slated to make an opening speech.
Security has been tightened and armed officers and military units have been dispatched to prime locations around the meeting venue.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which is the organizer of the dialogue, announced that this year’s event would be attended by defense officials from over 30 nations across the region and the world.
Defense ministers from the U.S., Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore are anticipated to partake in the summit, the IISS added.
The dialogue is aimed at providing opportunities for defense officials in the Asia-Pacific region and other relevant nations to discuss strategic issues, resolve differences, and seek potential cooperation, according to Tim Huxley, Executive Director of IISS-Asia.
Disputes in the East Vietnam Sea, including China’s intentions to build artificial islands on a massive scale, are to be the center of discussion, Huxley said.
William Choong, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security, supported the opinion, further explaining that the meeting is held against the backdrop of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague about to reach a conclusion on the suit between the Philippines and China.
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