US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun attend a bilateral meeting in Singapore, May 31, 2024.
While these speeches often carry a performative element, they are nonetheless important in setting the baseline on what is unacceptable behaviour - which, in theory, would lessen the risk of miscalculation and inject predictability.“almost certainly” be a red line The value and the risk of drawing red lines have to be weighed, lest countries back themselves into escalation.
So there must be a responsibility for all to also re-imagine solutions for peace and stability - the theme of the plenary session in which Mr Zelenskyy spoke - and a need for more countries to stand up and be counted in efforts against unilateral attempts to change the global and regional status quo.
What would be reassuring to countries in the region - and to Southeast Asia in particular - is that many of the speeches touched on the notion of “ASEAN centrality” and how the Association of Southeast Asian Nations must remain a key component of the regional security architecture. The grouping has caught some flak recently for its perceived ineffectiveness in responding to regional challenges.