Vietnam's To Lam warns of three global crises, sets out solutions
The world is beset with multiple risks and uncertainty that countries must confront squarely, To Lam, Vietnam's top leader, said on Friday (May 29) while inaugurating Asia's premier defence forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue.He said the challenges facing the world include an erosion of international rules and law, a crisis of development models including slowing growth and climate change, and a crisis of trust among nations.«The three crises confronting our world today are not inevitable realities that we are bound to accept,» Lam said, calling for reinforcing international law, setting up inclusive and sustainable growth drivers, as well as initiating dialogue and transparency.The free-wheeling Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual event in Singapore which runs until Sunday, draws a mix of defence ministers, generals, intelligence chiefs, diplomats, analysts and weapons makers.US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and counterparts from Australia, Britain, France, Japan and other nations were in the audience. A notable absentee was China's Dong Jun, who skipped the event for the second year running.