SINGAPORE — Giving in to Russia’s demands to annex a significant portion of Ukraine without consequences would deal a blow to American and European credibility that could be felt as far away as the Indo-Pacific, warned French President Emmanuel Macron.
“So what is at stake in Ukraine is our common credibility to be sure that we are still able to preserve territorial integrity [and the] sovereignty of people,” he said during his opening keynote of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. What would happen, Macron asked, if something similar happened to Taiwan or the Philippines?
China sees the self-governing island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to reincorporate the island by force if necessary. Meanwhile, Beijing is embroiled in a tense dispute with the Philippines and four other Southeast Asian countries over ownership of several islands and features in the South China Sea.
Elsewhere in the speech Macron called on China to do more to prevent North Korea from supplying men and equipment to Russia in support of the latter’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
He emphasized that he has consistently objected to NATO being involved in the strategic rivalry in the Indo-Pacific, and said that China, which is North Korea’s biggest backer and trading partner, should likewise try to prevent North Korea from aiding Russia.
“If China doesn’t want NATO being involved in Southeast Asia or Asia, they should prevent the DPRK from being engaged on European soil”
Singapore is the third and final stop for Macron’s ongoing official visit to the region. He had previously visited Vietnam and Indonesia before arriving in the Southeast Asian city-state.
Also present in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue is US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He was in the audience for Macron’s speech and is scheduled to speak at the opening plenary session on the US’s new ambitions for Indo-Pacific security on Saturday.
This is Hegseth’s first visit to Singapore as defense secretary. Earlier on Friday he took part in a dawn workout with sailors on board US Navy ship in Singapore and met with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing.
Notably absent from this year’s event, which is attended by defense ministers and other leaders from the region and the wider world, is China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun. He had attended last year’s dialogue, as had his predecessor in the previous few years.
Instead, the Chinese delegation this year is led by the Vice President of China’s National Defense University Rear Adm. Hu Gangfeng, who is speaking at a special session of the dialogue on Saturday afternoon instead of the traditional Sunday morning slot usually reserved for China’s defense minister.