Europe-US power struggle in Asia-Pacific

The annual Shangri-La Dialogue that Singapore hosts is a gathering of security and defence experts of south, south-east and east-Asia, along with the United States, European Union countries and China. It is a meeting point where new worldviews are enunciated if not new spheres of influence are carved out.

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At this year’s Shangri-La, China stepped back as it were. There can only be speculation why it did so. India and Pakistan delegations represented by highest military personnel were present, avoiding running into each other in the corridors of the hotel.

It was the Americans and the Europeans who seemed to have crossed swords at the conference. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has spelt the American position with regard to European powers. He said, “We would much prefer that the overwhelming balance of European investment be on that continent...so that as we partner there, which we will continue to do, we're able to use our comparative advantage as an Indo-Pacific nation to support our partners here.”