15 May 2026, Bavaria, Würzburg: Carsten Breuer, Germany’s chief of defence, takes part in a panel discussion at the 104th German Catholic Day under the motto “Between deterrence and diplomacy”. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa – ATTENTION: For editorial use only and only with full reference to the above credit (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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China is losing a chance at dialogue by not having a ministerial-level delegation at an annual defense forum in Singapore, Germany’s chief of defense General Carsten Breuer said on Saturday.
Speaking at a media roundtable on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Breuer said that China is losing this chance at a time when the world is “contested.”
This was “dangerous,” he said, warning that, “in my 42 years as a soldier, I’ve never experienced such dangerous times like we are living in the world as today.”
Breuer’s comments came after China’s defense minister Dong Jun skipped the conference for a second straight year, with Beijing sending a lower-level delegation led by Major General Meng Xiangqing from the People’s Liberation Army National Defence University.
“I strongly recommend to use each and every dialog forum to discuss with each other and to compare not only notes but also opinions … . [From] my perspective, this is necessary.”
His comments also come after U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called out China earlier on Saturday, saying that “no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”
This does not mean there is no contact with China. The German defense chief said that dialog is still occurring with the members of the Chinese delegation here, “but of course, it would be better to have it on a higher level,” Breuer added.
Breuer was asked if the conversations he had were a “real dialogue,” or a matter of both sides simply stating their positions and walking away.
“I see it as a real dialogue … of course, you have your national positions, and this is clear, but also within those national positions, you can explain, and this is what we are doing, especially on the military side,” the German general replied.
Other countries top defense officials hold different views, however.
“I feel that as a value proposition, their presence here is reduced to a minimum…which is to promote the party line rather than to engage constructively,” Philippines national defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro told CNBC.
“So, insofar as I’m concerned, it’s no major loss for me,” Teodoro added.