The Shangri-La Dialogue

Today is the final day of the 2010 Shangri-La Dialogue. Named for the Singapore hotel it is hosted in, the dialogue is an annual summit of generals, ministers, and defense professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region. The dialogue is noted for its plenary sessions, whose speakers usually include the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the People Liberation Army’s Chief of General Staff, and the Japanese Defense Minister, among others. These sessions are valuable to citizen and analyst alike; there are few other places one can find a collection of articulated grand strategies (as each country wishes theirs to be perceived) gathered in one place and translated into English.

While I have yet to read any of the remarks made in Singapore, I plant to devote a sizable chunk of my Sunday afternoon to sift through the addresses and speeches of the region’s greatest power brokers. It is my suggestion that you set aside a bit of time to do the same.