Hegseth faces 'vibe check' from Asian peers in Shangri-La Dialogue debut

Pentagon chief's first appearance at Asia's premier security summit will test his diplomatic skills after controversies.

- Bhavan Jaipragas

The recent video by the US mission in Singapore that likened the South China Sea dispute to neighbourhood squabbles in the city-state was telling — not only in its diplomatic insolence, but also in how its subtext revealed a patronising caricature of Singaporeans.

Those behind the video seemed to imagine an audience with a rudimentary understanding of the world requiring major dumbing down, rather than one of the most literate societies more than able to grasp complexities. It was a complete misread — a fundamental failure to understand who they were addressing. To put it simply, and to use millennial parlance: the vibes were off.

As Asia's leading defence meeting, the Shangri-La Dialogue, comes to town this weekend, that same skill of reading the room will be put to the test.

There will be many threads and big personalities on display — the keynote by French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday evening, the special address by Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday afternoon. At the time of writing, there was no indication China would send its defence minister — which would be a first since 2018 — but whoever they send will be closely watched.

But no one will face more scrutiny than US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in his Shangri-La Dialogue debut. He will be watched closely both in his speech at Saturday morning's first plenary session and in the various closed-door meetings he is expected to hold.

Asian counterparts will be sizing him up as much as he does them. They will be seeking to get a read on who he is and how he articulates President Donald Trump's approach to the strategic rivalry with China in his second term, and what it means for this region.