Article by Viory
Opening Summit Address
Vietnam’s President To Lam warned at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday that double standards, the inconsistent application of international law and growing strategic rivalry are eroding trust and threatening regional stability.
Footage shows the opening of the Shangri-La Dialogue, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth seen among the attendees, before To Lam took to the stage for his address.
“When commitments are still declared, but actual actions undermine those very commitments, when the fundamental principles of international law are interpreted in a subjective and imposed manner, applied inconsistently, or subordinated to a ‘might makes right’ mentality, countries—especially small and medium-sized nations—face pressure to choose sides and are subjected to economic, technological, financial and security coercion,” To Lam stated.
He stressed that interconnected spaces including oceans, cyberspace, supply chains and digital infrastructure risked becoming arenas of strategic competition, while economic development and ensuring security should not be viewed as competing priorities.
“For many countries, development is not a secondary choice behind security; development is the foundation of sustainable security. If the development process is disrupted, if developing countries have their opportunities to rise curtailed, then economic instability can easily transform into unrest,” he warned.
“Those recent tensions in strategic maritime routes in the Middle East demonstrate that conflict at a hotspot can quickly impact trade, energy, logistics, and the socio-economic life of many other regions on a global scale,” he added.
Strategic Trust Warning
To Lam also warned of what he described as a growing “crisis of strategic trust” among nations.
“This is a silent yet dangerous crisis because it makes countries easily perceive the actions of each other through a lens of suspicion and insecurity,” he declared.
“When trust diminishes, a defensive move can be interpreted as provocative. A difference in interests can escalate into confrontation. A minor incident can trigger a spiral of reactions if there is a lack of dialogue, communication and self-restraint.”
South China Sea
Addressing regional disputes, To Lam reiterated Vietnam’s position on the South China Sea, saying Hanoi backs diplomatic solutions.
“Vietnam’s position is consistent, clear, and principled. Vietnam supports resolving all disputes and disagreements through peaceful measures,” he noted.
To Lam also cautioned against turning Southeast Asia into an arena for confrontation between rival blocs and stressed the importance of maintaining ASEAN’s central role in regional security architecture.
“Every initiative that contributes to peace, stability, and development should be welcomed if it is transparent, respects international law, complements each other, and does not undermine ASEAN’s central role or turn Southeast Asia into a space for confrontation between blocs,” he concluded.
Regional Security Focus
Widely recognised as the region’s largest security summit, this year’s IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore arrives at a critical geopolitical juncture, offering a platform to challenge the traditional superpower duopoly of Washington and Beijing.
It brings together government figures, business chiefs and security experts to discuss a range of security issues in the Indo-Pacific, including tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in the South China Sea, and over Taiwan, and will run between May 29-31.
IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, via Viory.Video
Related Post:
Share this content:
