Dong Junfeng & Pete Hegseth

Dong Junfeng: Dong Junfeng, China's Defense Minister, notably skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue for the second consecutive year, which was seen as a missed opportunity for dialogue by other nations.

Pete Hegseth: Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, delivered a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, emphasizing India's role as a critical anchor in the Indo-Pacific and urging allies to increase defense spending. He also adopted a more measured tone regarding China compared to previous years.