Defense ministers, military officials and security experts from around the world gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore this week to discuss the security situation in the Asia-Pacific. The conference has been hosted annually since 2002 by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
What are the key takeaways from this year's conference?
1. Security situation in the Asia-Pacific is deteriorating
A week before the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 began in Singapore, city-state Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said: "The reality in this changed world is that there will be more volatility — we will be facing storm after storm."
Indeed, several conflicts in the Asia-Pacific have escalated recently. In May 2025, there was a brief war between India and Pakistan. The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia only ended in December 2025. In February 2026, recurring clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan reached a new intensity with Pakistani airstrikes. The civil war in Myanmar continues. Tensions regularly flare in the South China Sea. Taiwan — a focal point of many of the region's security issues — remains uncertain.
