International media praise top Vietnamese leader’s message at 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue

His keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue marked the first time a Vietnamese Party and State leader has addressed the prestigious defense forum, widely regarded as the leading defense and security platform in the Asia-Pacific region.

Within hours of the speech, major international news organizations, including Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Newsweek, the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Nikkei Asia, and numerous regional publications, carried extensive coverage of the Vietnamese leader’s message.

Reuters and AP highlighted his identification of three global crises, describing his address as among the most significant speeches and standout events of this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue.

His keynote speech at the dialogue was one of ⁠the most high-profile events, Reuters reported.

Singapore’s The Straits Times characterized the address as a historic milestone, underscoring Vietnam’s growing prominence and active engagement in multilateral discussions on regional security.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based SCMP portrayed the top Vietnamese leader’s presentation as ‘calm yet resolute,’ noting his warning that three major crises of the contemporary era are unfolding simultaneously, reinforcing one another, and most visibly manifested in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. magazine Newsweek focused on one of the speech’s central themes, highlighting his warning that the international order faces the risk of erosion amid a trend in which ‘the strong prey upon the weak.’

Newsweek also emphasized his message that the international order is never static.

“A just order can evolve to reflect the changing realities of the world. Yet such adaptation must occur through rules, dialogue, mutual accommodation and self-restraint rather than coercion, unilateral imposition, or threats of force.”