US defence secretary will speak at 2025 SLD defence summit in Singapore.

United States Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth will visit Singapore to speak at the Institute of International Security Studies' 2025 Shangri La Dialogue (SLD).

Shangri La

Hegseth's attendance was confirmed by the IISS on May 23, and the visit will be his first visit to Singapore as defence secretary.

The SLD is billed as Asia's premier defence summit, and it brings together international and regional leaders, military and security personnel, and academics to discuss security issues in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver the forum's keynote address on May 30.

The summit has also traditionally provided a platform for global powers, the U.S. and China, to air grievances and discuss issues and disagreements over the Indo-Pacific region.

The 2024 edition saw former U.S. defence secretary Lloyd Austin meet with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun and hold talks on the summit's sidelines.

However, that is unlikely to occur this year, as the Financial Times reports that China has signalled to Singapore that Dong is unlikely to attend.

Hegseth is scheduled to speak at 8:35 am on May 31 and will likely outline the Trump administration's approach to the region.

His speech will be mirrored by a speech the next day, which China's defence minister delivered in previous years.

The panel remains on the schedule, although it is not clear who will be speaking for China.

First visit

As it is Hegseth's first visit to Singapore and was invited to attend the SLD by former defence minister Ng Eng Hen, in an introductory call earlier in the year.

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Top image via Pete Hegseth/Instagram