Shanghai Dialogue: German General Criticizes China's Absence

"In my 42 years as a soldier, I've never experienced such dangerous times like we are living in the world as today."
— General Carsten Breuer, Germany's Chief of Defence

The Core Criticism

Germany's top military officer stated that China is losing a critical opportunity for dialogue by sending a lower-level delegation to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, rather than a ministerial-level representative.

General Carsten Breuer urged China to use every available forum for discussion:

"I strongly recommend to use each and every dialog forum to discuss with each other and to compare not only notes but also opinions... From my perspective, this is necessary."

Dialogue at a Lower Level

Breuer acknowledged that some exchanges are occurring with the Chinese delegation present, but made clear the shortfall:

"Of course, it would be better to have it on a higher level."

When pressed on whether current conversations amounted to "real dialogue," he responded:

"I see it as a real dialogue... you can explain, and this is what we are doing, especially on the military side."

Chinese Representation

China's Defense Minister Dong Jun missed the conference for a second consecutive year
Beijing instead sent a delegation led by Major General Meng Xiangqing from the People's Liberation Army National Defence University
This is a notably lower rank than previous Chinese delegations

Parallel US Criticism

On the same day, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a sharp rebuke against China, stating:

"No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question."

A Dissenting Voice from the Philippines

Philippines National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro offered a contrasting perspective on the value of China's presence:

"I feel that as a value proposition, their presence here is reduced to a minimum... which is to promote the party line rather than to engage constructively. So, insofar as I'm concerned, it's no major loss for me."