Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said the Shangri-La Dialogue helps countries understand one another and reduces the risk of strategic miscalculation.
As regional tensions persist, the forum serves as a critical diplomatic vent for security partners and adversaries to communicate. The ability to align perceptions prevents small frictions from escalating into larger conflicts.
Speaking during a wrap-up interview on Sunday, May 31, 2026 [1], Chan said the event is a vital tool for transparency. He said the dialogue provides a structured environment where nations can evaluate their own security postures against the perspectives of others.
"Conferences like Shangri-La Dialogue allow countries to understand each other's actions and can reduce the chances of misunderstanding and miscalculation," Chan said.
Chan said the forum is not merely for high-level speeches but for practical learning. He said the event allows participants to check their blind spots by observing how other nations address shared security challenges.
"The Shangri-La Dialogue, billed as Asia's premier defence forum, allows countries to check their blind spots and see how others are dealing with issues and the lessons they can learn," Chan said.
By facilitating these exchanges, the minister said the conference helps states avoid errors in judgment that often stem from a lack of communication. The dialogue allows countries to observe the approaches of their peers and integrate those lessons into their own strategies.
Chan said the primary value of the gathering lies in its capacity to foster mutual understanding among diverse military and political leaderships across the globe.
“Conferences like Shangri-La Dialogue allow countries to understand each other's actions”
The emphasis on 'blind spots' and 'miscalculation' suggests that Singapore views the Shangri-La Dialogue as a risk-management tool rather than just a diplomatic summit. In an era of increasing military modernization in Asia, the forum acts as a stabilizer by ensuring that state actions are interpreted correctly by rivals, thereby lowering the probability of accidental conflict.
