SINGAPORE (AP): Defense ministers and military chiefs from nearly two dozen Asian countries and major Western powers will gather this weekend in Singapore to address U.S.-Asia security relations, the rise of India and China and other regional concerns.
Keynote speakers at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which begins Friday, include U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono of Indonesia.
"This summit will feature several opportunities to advance Asia-Pacific defense diplomacy," the organizers, London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said in a statement.
It said the conference was "a platform for ministers and national security advisers to clarify and expand on government policy, and to be challenged by an expert group on policies and assumptions."
Issues to be addressed include U.S.-Asia security relations, the rise of India and China, maritime security cooperation, counterinsurgency and regional security concerns.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver the conference's keynote address, after which defense ministers will hold bilateral discussions and round-table meetings.
At last year's forum, Rumsfeld challenged China's military buildup and urged political change in the world's fastest growing economy.
The three-day Shangri-La Dialogue -- named after the Singapore hotel where it's held -- brings together delegates from at least 22 countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada,France, Japan, China and India.
This year's Shangri-La meeting is the fifth since the dialogue was set up by the institute, with support from Singapore.
