Singapore's defence minister travels to China for high-level military talks

Singapore's Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing will meet Chinese counterpart Dong Jun and senior People's Liberation Army leaders during a three-day official visit beginning Tuesday, the city-state's defence ministry announced.

Chan accepted an invitation from Dong to travel to China through Thursday and will address the Beijing Xiangshan Forum for the second year running, the ministry said in a statement issued Monday.

Strategic Balancing Act

The visit reflects what both governments describe as "warm and friendly" bilateral defence ties, according to the ministry.

Defence analysts speaking to This Week in Asia emphasised that maintaining strong relations with Beijing forms a crucial component of Singapore's balancing strategy with Washington. The city-state maintains close strategic partnership and deep defence cooperation with the United States while simultaneously cultivating ties across the region.

Chan's scheduled meetings with Dong and other senior Chinese military officials, alongside his repeat appearance at the Xiangshan Forum, underscore Singapore's continued diplomatic engagement with both major powers.

The defence ministry confirmed Chan would participate in discussions with multiple PLA leaders during the visit.

Source: South China Morning Post