Shangri-La Dialogue should not be of the deaf

A show of strength between US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. That is what many assume the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore will be. But it wouldn't have been that way if the United States had played by the rules and honored its word.

Were it not for the rising tensions between China and the US, stoked by their trade dispute that has prompted many countries in the region to choose between Beijing and Washington, China would have continued to let the US play solo at the Singapore event.

But since things have played out differently, Beijing has to take advantage of the opportunity to counter the canards being spread by the US about China and its peaceful rise. That Wei is the highest ranking Chinese official to participate in the three-day dialogue that started on Friday since 2011 makes it clear how important the event has become for China.