Lieutenant General He Lei, vice-president of the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, will lead the Chinese delegation for the upcoming 2018 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

China has always valued participating in international and regional multilateral security dialogues, the ministry said in an online statement. China is communicating with relevant parties regarding the activities and schedules during the dialogue, it added.

He led the Chinese delegation to the 16th Shangri-La Dialogue last year. The dialogue is the premier defense summit in the Asia-Pacific region, featuring ministers and delegates from more than 50 countries, including the United States, China, India, Japan, Australia and other regional powers.

The 17th Shangri-La Dialogue will be held in Singapore from June 1 to 3.