ASEAN defence ministers reaffirm commitment to free flow of trade through international corridors

SINGAPORE – Several ASEAN defence ministers met ahead of the second day of the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30, during which they committed to ensuring the free flow of trade and supplies through international corridors, including the straits of Malacca and Singapore.

At a breakfast co-hosted by Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Philippine Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jr, the leaders from eight countries in the South-east Asian bloc reaffirmed the importance of international law and norms in the region.

In particular, they stressed that the right of transit passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) needed to be upheld.

Since the United States and Israel struck Iran on Feb 28, the Islamic Republic has retaliated by closing the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Indonesia’s finance minister in April floated the idea of imposing a levy on ships passing through the Malacca and Singapore straits, splitting the proceeds three ways.

This prompted the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Malaysia to reiterate that no country can unilaterally determine access to the Strait of Malacca.

In a statement about the breakfast meeting, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said the defence ministers also affirmed how the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual defence summit, provides a platform for ASEAN members to interact with defence and security officials from across the globe.

Those also in attendance at the breakfast meeting were Brunei’s Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II Halbi Haji Mohd Yussof; Cambodia’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Rath Dararoth; Indonesia’s Vice-Minister of Defence Donny Ermawan Taufanto; Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin; Thailand’s Defence Minister Adul Boonthamcharoen; and Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and National Defence Minister Phan Van Giang. 

Other topics discussed included ways for ASEAN to contribute to regional peace and prosperity, as well as how militaries from the region and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) countries can train together, especially in the field of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

ADMM-Plus is an expanded defence meeting platform for ASEAN and countries outside the region, and comprises the South-east Asian bloc, as well as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the US.

Mr Chan later told reporters that the meeting was very useful and organic.

The topics discussed included non-conventional security threats and how smaller countries, as well as ASEAN, relate to larger world powers, he said.

Separately, Mr Chan met several international counterparts on the sidelines of the dialogue.

He first met French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Catherine Vautrin, where the importance of the right of transit passage under UNCLOS was again discussed.

At their meeting, they reaffirmed the strong bilateral defence relations between Singapore and France. Mr Chan expressed his appreciation for French support of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s training detachment at Cazaux Air Base in south-western France.

Building on a defence agreement signed in May 2025, the two ministers agreed to deepen their partnership in military training, defence technology, the protection of vital underwater infrastructure and other areas.

Mr Chan then met Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, and both ministers discussed geopolitical and security developments.

Before the meeting, Singapore and Italy signed an agreement on supply chain resilience, which MINDEF said will bolster both countries’ defence supply chains in the event of unforeseen disruptions.  

Mr Chan later met Malaysia’s Datuk Seri Khaled. They reaffirmed the longstanding ties between the two countries and discussed ways to strengthen trust and understanding.

The Malaysian minister also called on Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.

Other leaders Mr Chan met include top defence officials from the Czech Republic, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, Switzerland and the UK, and a congressional delegation from the US.

When Mr Chan met New Zealand’s Defence Minister Chris Penk, they commended the progress made between both countries in deepening defence cooperation in new and emerging areas, said MINDEF, though it did not elaborate.

Meanwhile, Mr Chan and his Brunei counterpart, Major-General (Ret) Halbi, reaffirmed the close and longstanding defence ties between the two nations, with 2026 being the 50th anniversary of these relations.

They also discussed ways to cooperate in areas of mutual interest, including the security of critical underwater infrastructure. Singapore and Brunei are both part of a voluntary 17-country initiative looking at ways to protect such systems.