Foreword
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is pleased to present this report, a summary of the proceedings of the Seventh IISS Asia Security Summit: The Shangri-La Dialogue.
The IISS inaugurated the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2002 and it was held for the seventh time in Singapore from 30 May–1 June 2008. The Dialogue provides the best opportunity in the region for participating states’ defence establishments, usually represented by their ministers, permanent heads of ministries, and military chiefs, to exchange views on contemporary and emerging security challenges facing the region and its constituent parts. As well as the public plenary sessions and the closed-door break-out groups open to all delegates, government delegations also hold many private bilateral and multilateral meetings. This report summarises the discussions that were open to all summit participants in the plenary sessions and break-out groups.
In 2008, no fewer than 27 governments sent delegations to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. We are convinced that this seventh summit in the series elevated this annual event, already the principal Asia-Pacific forum for the conduct of official defence diplomacy, to a new level of importance. China consolidated its presence at a high level. Canada was represented by its Minister for National Defence for the first time. Laos sent a delegation for the first time, and Myanmar and Vietnam were represented more strongly than in previous Dialogues. The agenda encompassed a particularly wide range of important security themes, with six plenary sessions compared with five in previous years. We also increased the number of break-out groups to six, expanding the range of topics that could be discussed in detail. Participating delegations again held a record number of private bilateral and multilateral meetings. Global media coverage and analysis of the event’s public sessions were more comprehensive than ever.
The IISS thanks the government of Singapore for its generous support and logistic assistance for this complex event. Singapore’s support will allow the Shangri-La Dialogue to be staged in the city-state until at least 2011. We also express gratitude to the following commercial, institutional and government benefactors for additional vital financial support: BAE Systems, Boeing, EADS, the Macarthur Foundation, Northrop Grumman, Thales, the Keppel Corporation, the Mitsubishi Corporation, Singapore Technologies Engineering, The Asahi Shimbun, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and the Australian Department of Defence, as well as Bain and Company which sponsored the Opening Dinner. With defence establishments in the Asia-Pacific facing an expanding spectrum of challenges, the IISS looks forward to developing these valuable partnerships in the service of advancing pan-regional security dialogue and cooperation.
Dr John Chipman cmg
IISS Director-General and Chief Executive
Dr Tim Huxley
Executive Director, IISS-Asia
