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Vietnam's Communist Party general secretary To Lam speaks during the opening session of the National Assembly in Hanoi on April 6, 2026. Lawmakers in Vietnam elected Communist Party chief To Lam as president on April 7, 2026, the chairman of the National Assembly said, making Lam head of state as well as general secretary of the ruling party. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
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The Asia Pacific region seeks neither the presence or absence of a major power, but instead "responsible commitment" from all parties, according to Vietnamese President To Lam.
Lam, who is also general secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party, was speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He added that in the Asia-Pacific region, "all countries with legitimate interests can have a role to play in contributing to its peace, stability, and development."
"All nations continue to speak of peace, stability, and cooperation," but face an environment marked by a fragmentation of trust and unchecked competition, he said.
Lam said that Vietnam recognizes that competition among countries is a reality of international relations, but highlighted that competition must be bounded by law, guided by transparency, and exercised with restraint.
Erosion of strategic trust
"A durable regional order cannot be built upon perpetual fear and mutual distrust," Lam noted.
One crisis facing the world, Lam pointed out, was the "erosion of strategic trust," where states may interpret actions through the lens of mistrust and anxiety.
"When trust declines, defensive measures may even be perceived as provocation. A difference of interest may escalate to confrontation. A minor incident may trigger spirals of reaction in the absence of dialog, communication, and restraint."
Building such strategic trust doesn't require an elimination of differences or denying competition, Lam said. Instead, states can manage differences within a rules based framework, ensuring that competition remains bounded, responsible, and predictable.
"A durable regional order cannot be built upon perpetual fear and mutual distrust," Lam noted.
The IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore is slated to see key figures like U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speak over the three-day conference.
China's participation has been notably low-key — defense minister Dong Jun missed it for a second year in a row.
Beijing's delegation is led by Major General Meng Xiangqing from the People's Liberation Army National Defence University, CNA reported, citing a press briefing by China's Defense Ministry.
