Best quotes from the 2026 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue: Defense spending, multilateralism and the future of the Asia-Pacific The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue saw defense leaders from various nations share their perspectives on critical issues including defense spending, the evolving Asia-Pacific region, and the importance of multilateralism. Key themes included the necessity for allies to increase their contributions to collective defense, concerns over China’s expansionism, and the call for reforming global security governance mechanisms to better represent developing nations.

• Allies refusing to contribute to collective defense may face altered business practices.
• Nations must increase defense spending and deliver to have a voice at the table.
• The Philippines is focused on increasing defense spending and broadening alliances for resilience.
• The Asia-Pacific is an open space where all countries with legitimate interests can contribute to peace and stability.
• The U.S. insists that China respect its longstanding position in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Maintaining the global rules-based order is crucial, especially for middle powers like Australia.
• Current global security governance mechanisms are in urgent need of reform, with overrepresentation of developed countries.
• Some leaders expressed concerns about increasing global instability and the disregard for international norms.
• Japan’s defense minister questioned the label of ‘neo-militarism’ given its lack of nuclear weapons compared to other nations.
• There is a growing recognition that no single country can handle all defense challenges alone, highlighting the importance of alliances and cooperation.