Shangri-La Latest: Zelenskiy Set to Speak at Forum on Sunday
(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Sunday morning, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Key Engines of US Consumer Spending Are Losing Steam All at Once
Homebuyers Are Starting to Revolt Over Steep Prices Across US
Mnuchin Chases Wall Street Glory With His War Chest of Foreign Money
Global Banks Start Targeting a New Breed of Real Estate Risk
Bloomberg News earlier reported Zelenskiy is expected to deliver a speech, urging Asian leaders to attend a summit in Switzerland to discuss his country’s peace blueprint. He wants support from foreign leaders, including the so-called Global South countries, for a summit that will be hosted by Switzerland in June.
Senior defense officials from around the world have gathered at the security forum to discuss a host of fractious issues including Taiwan as well as China’s relationship with Russia. The three-day event kicked off Friday and continues through Sunday afternoon.
Latest Coverage
Australia Has ‘Security Anxieties’ With China Even as Ties Warm
Pentagon Chief Touts China Talks and Efforts to Box Beijing In
Marcos Swipes at China, Vowing Not to Yield in Disputed Sea
Zelenskiy to Join Singapore Defense Forum to Promote His Summit
US Cyber Chief Sees ‘Very Aggressive’ Chinese Hacking Strategy
(All times local)
Zelenskiy Will Speak at Security Forum in Singapore on Sunday
Zelenskiy is set to deliver a speech at the forum, according to the event organizer International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The Ukrainian president wants to persuade Asian leaders that his summit offers a real possibility of bringing an end to the war, Bloomberg News earlier reported, citing a person familiar with matter.
Read more: Zelenskiy Implores Biden, Xi to Attend Summit as Russia Ramps Up
Prabowo Backs Two-State Solution in Middle East (3:15 p.m.)
Prabowo said the only real solution to lasting peace and security for both Israel and Palestine is a two-state solution, and called the ceasefire proposal backed by US President Joe Biden a positive development in helping to bring peace to Gaza.
“Although we have to further study the details of this proposal put forward and announced by Biden, we do view this proposal as an important right step in the direction we have to go,” Prabowo said. He added that a just solution would recognize Israel’s right to exist and the rights of Palestinians to have a homeland and live in peace.
The president-elect, who takes office in October, added that Indonesia stands ready to send peacekeepers and medical teams to Gaza if all sides agree.
Cambodia Needs Chinese Support at Naval Base: Minister (1:00 P.M)
Cambodia’s top defense official said he needs China’s support to help train troops to use equipment stationed at its naval base on the Gulf of Thailand, while once again reiterating that Beijing will not be given permanent military presence.
“We need some technicians who are trainers so that our navy can use all this equipment in order to protect our maritime boundary and territorial integrity,” Minister of National Defense Tea Seiha said in response to a question during a panel discussion.
Philippines to Continue Publicizing Maritime Clashes With China (1 p.m.)
The Philippine Coast Guard will continue publicizing its encounters with Beijing in the South China Sea, its chief said, as part of efforts to assert the Southeast Asian country’s maritime claims.
The Philippines will also pursue missions to contested areas such as the Second Thomas and Scarborough Shoals despite recent clashes with Chinese vessels, Coast Guard chief Admiral Ronnie Gavan said at sidelines of the forum.
PLA General Accuses US of Building Asian Version of NATO (12:15 p.m.)
The “true motive” of the US is to create an Asia-Pacific version of NATO to maintain American-led hegemony in the region, according to Chinese Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng
The US Indo-Pacific strategy is a political rhetoric that sounds good but does no good, Jing said at a briefing in Singapore. He was responding to Pentagon chief Austin’s speech that touched on the partnerships Washington is strengthening in the region as a hedge against Beijing.
Jing accused America of arming Taiwan for independence, and slammed US for breaking its promise on Taiwan and hollowing out the One China policy.
Australia Says Israel Needs to Comply with ICJ Orders (12 noon)
Israel must comply with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice, including to enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance, according to Australia Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
“Australia’s position must not be taken as any kind of acceptance of the moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas,” Marles said in a speech. “Clearly there is not. Israel as a democratic state, Hamas is a terrorist organization.”
Australia Has “Security Anxieties’ With China (11:58 a.m.)
Australia has “security anxieties” in its relationship with China even as trade ties have stabilized, Marles said, as he called on Beijing to uphold the global rules-based order.
“There’s no point in denying the fact that they exist, which is why we talk about cooperating with China where we can, and disagreeing where we must,” he said earlier in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin.
Austin Reassured Allies on Ukraine Aid in Estonia Meeting (11:45 a.m.)
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Austin sought to reassure European allies that the US is committed to the timely delivery of billions in aid for Ukraine after months of delays forced Kyiv to ration munitions and lose ground to Russia.
In an interview, Pevkur said he raised the matter with Austin during a meeting, adding that he didn’t see any reason for further delay. “The $60 billion package is a big package, and it has to be delivered as soon as possible to Ukraine,” he said.
Pevkur also said that Estonia’s defense budget would likely grow to 3.4% of GDP by the end of the year from an initial 3.2%, though “the economy is not growing so fast as we were hoping.”
Canada Aims to Meet NATO Defense Spending Target by 2030 (11:30 a.m.)
Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said the country is “absolutely committed” to reaching the NATO military spending target of 2% of GDP as it faces mounting pressure from allies.
“My own personal target is to have that done within the next five years, by 2030, that we will reach that threshold,” Blair said in a Bloomberg Television with Haslinda Amin on Saturday.
“We just released our defense policy update,” Blair added. “We are making very significant new investments in defense.”
South Korea Says Russia Is Aiding North’s Satellite Tech (11:01 a.m.)
Russia is aiding the development of North Korea’s satellite technology as part of the arms and resource trade, according to South Korea Defense Minister Shin Wonsik.
“North Korea exported missiles and artillery and, in return, they received oil, food and military technology,” Shin told the forum. “Particularly for military reconnaissance-related satellite technologies.”
The US and South Korea are putting measures to counter this as North Korea’s capabilities can be significantly improved if these exchanges continue, Shin said.
South Korea Slams North Korea’s Arms Trade With Russia (10:20 a.m.)
Shin earlier condemned Russia’s expanding arms cooperation with North Korea, saying those ties threaten world peace and aid Kim Jong Un’s nuclear “obsessions.”
Read more: Russia Is Using North Korean Missiles in Ukraine, US Agency Says
The defense minister also used the regional forum to criticize North Korea’s launching of balloons carrying trash earlier this week to South Korea.
Austin Disagrees With Academic on NATO Triggering War in Ukraine (9:35 a.m.)
Pentagon Chief Austin disagreed with a Chinese military academic who said the expansion of NATO triggered the war in Ukraine, saying the blame lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He assumed he could very quickly roll over his neighbor and annex the country,” Austin said in a Q&A session after his speech. “That was two-plus years ago. He has not achieved any of his strategic objectives.”
Austin said countries in Asia with similar values and a common vision were coming together. He was responding to a Cao Yanzhong, a research fellow at the Academy of Military Sciences, who asked if the US was building a NATO-like alliance in Asia-Pacific.
US Doubtful Aukus-Like Deal Can be Done With South Korea (9:13 a.m.)
Austin said it was “highly doubtful” that the US can take on another Aukus-like initiative with South Korea, when asked during a Q&A session whether Washington would consider extending the deal.
Aukus is a defense pact between Australia, the UK and the US that is aimed at pushing back against China’s assertiveness in Asia. Under the first pillar of the Aukus pact, the UK and US will work with Australia to help Canberra field a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines by the 2030s.
However, it is the strategic research partnerships under Pillar II of Aukus that interests regional partners including Seoul.
Austin Hails Better US-China Ties, Sees Need for Deterrence (9:05 a.m.)
Austin hailed improved military-to-military communication between the two nations but also saw the need for deterrence against Beijing.
He told a regional defense forum the Indo-Pacific would continue to be America’s “priority theater of operations” despite Washington’s recent preoccupation with conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Austin also emphasized that a string of actions aimed at bolstering regional deterrence against Beijing would continue.
Marcos Swipes at Beijing Over South China Sea (9:15 p.m.)
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asserted his nation’s claims in the disputed South China Sea while taking pointed swipes at Beijing during a speech at the forum — as China’s new defense minister sat in the audience.
With the Philippines and China locked in a standoff over disputed islands and reefs, Marcos used his keynote speech late Friday to call out “assertive actions that aim to propagate excessive and baseless claims through force, intimidation, and deception.”
--With assistance from Harry Suhartono, Sam Kim and Andreo Calonzo.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Disney Is Banking On Sequels to Help Get Pixar Back on Track
Israel Seeks Underground Secrets by Tracking Cosmic Particles
How Rage, Boredom and WallStreetBets Created a New Generation of Young American Traders
US Malls Avoid Death Spiral With Help of Japanese Video Arcades
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
