Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien attends the opening session and discussion at the Shangri-La Dialogue 20. (Photo: Le Duong/VNA)

Organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the dialogue has brought together more than 550 delegates who are defense and security officers and scholars from 41 countries.

The event, lasting until Sunday, features seven plenary sessions and six special sessions that touch upon various issues like security in cyberspace competition, challenges to developing military capacity in Asia-Pacific, nuclear threats and challenges to regional security, and defence cooperation trends in Indo-Pacific.

Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien meets Chinese Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Li Shangfu. Photo: VNA

On the sidelines of the dialogue, Chien met with leaders of defence ministries and delegation heads of some participating countries, including Chinese Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Li Shangfu.

Chien and Li shared the view that the Vietnam-China defence cooperation has received attention of all-level leaders of both sides, saying it is growing practically and becomes an important pillar of the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Chien suggested the two sides continue with delegation exchanges and other collaboration activities in border and sea management and defence, and soon organise the eighth Border Defence Friendship Exchange, and the defence strategic dialogue.

Deputy Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien talks to Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Donald Marles. Photo: VNA

At a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Donald Marles, the two officials consented to maintain cooperation in the agreed areas, firstly accelerating the signing of an agreement on the partnership in peacekeeping, and upgrading the Joint Vision for Enhancing Defence Cooperation.

Meeting with Japanese Vice Minister of Defence Masami Oka, Chien called on the Japanese side to further assist Vietnam in peacekeeping operations in terms of training and experience sharing.

At a meeting with the leader of Singapore's Ministry of National Defence, the Vietnamese military leader expressed his wish to make defense cooperation more substantive and effective, maintaining consultation mechanisms, experience sharing, rescue cooperation and promotion of signing of cooperation documents. 

Meeting with Assistant Deputy Minister of Canada Peter Hammerschmidt, Chien suggested that the two sides maintain the exchange of defence delegations at all levels . Both will progress to the Defence Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Defense Minister level in 2023 and sign important cooperation documents and plans, and cooperate in UN peacekeeping, he said.