From 30 May until 2 June 2024, Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee participated in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. While attending the Dialogue, Admiral Bauer met with senior political and military officials from China, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. Admiral Bauer spoke at a panel session on AI, Cyber Defence and Future Warfare. And delivered a keynote address at the Indo Pacific Forum, alongside the Japanese Minister of Defence.
In a panel discussion on AI, Cyber Defence and Future Warfare, Admiral Bauer expressed his concerns on the unrestricted use of new technologies on the battlefield. "Throughout military history, every new technological advancement has increased our ability to destroy. On a larger scale. With a higher speed. And with greater precision. But as technology is increasing our ability to destroy… our ability to regulate is rapidly decreasing. The question is: where can this lead to? How big can the divide become? If the tectonic plates of power are shifting, and the world is split up into several parallel systems with different sets of rules… can they co-exist?" Admiral Bauer stressed that after two world wars, a worldwide belief arose that great power struggle should never again be fought on the battlefield and that weapon systems needed to be regulated and controlled. "I truly hope that we don't need to re-learn that lesson again. And that we don't combine high tech weaponry with medieval lawlessness and impunity. Because there is nothing "modern" about that."
On the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Admiral Bauer met with Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission. The Chair expressed the Alliance's concern with the Chinese government's stance on Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. The Chair also stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and the effects that regional security challenges are having on the global stage. Admiral Bauer stressed the importance of continued dialogue and military transparency: "The military-to-military dialogue is crucial to prevent misunderstandings, miscalculations and misconceptions". The military dialogue between NATO and China has been regular since 2010, with a brief suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, Admiral Bauer met with New Zealand's Minister of Defence Judith Collins and Acting Chief of Defence Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies. Together they discussed the role of partnerships in strengthening tackling shared security challenges, as well as the upcoming decisions on NATO's long term support for Ukraine during the Washington Summit.
Discussions with the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea centred on maintaining security around global commons; sea lanes, transport routes, communication systems, energy supplies, as well as emerging security challenges that require a collective response.
Admiral Rob Bauer also met with the Permanent Secretary for Defence of Singapore, Mr Chan Heng Kee. They discussed the importance of freedom of navigation and international cooperation for tackling global security challenges.
In his meeting with the Swiss Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Thomas Süssli, Admiral Bauer discussed Switzerland's continued participation in NATO exercises and training.
Finally, Admiral Bauer delivered a keynote speech at the Indo-Pacific Forum, alongside Japan's Minister of Defence Minoru Kihara. The Chair spoke of the importance of partnerships in an increasingly divided world. NATO and Japan have been partners for decades, and have intensified their partnership after Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Admiral Bauer underlined NATO's commitment to deepen practical cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners in several practical areas, including cyber defence, counter-disinformation, and emerging technologies.
