China¡¯s top military official is expected to skip Asia¡¯s biggest defense forum for a second year in a row, according to people familiar with the matter, ceding to the U.S. and its allies an opportunity for public defense diplomacy.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun will likely skip the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. Instead, Beijing is expected to dispatch a lower-profile delegation from the People¡¯s Liberation Army National Defense University, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified as the information isn¡¯t yet public.
They didn¡¯t provide a reason for Dong¡¯s expected absence, adding that the plan is still fluid and subject to change at the last minute. China typically doesn¡¯t confirm the visits of key officials until a day or two before an event.
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