At Shangri-La, generals engaged in light conversation and disagreements as China and Trump's presence dominated the discussions.
International military officers filled the luxury hotel, wearing their lavish uniforms decorated with gold braids and epaulets, displaying intricate colorful stripes across their chests like a military Tetris game.
Every few minutes, a defense minister walked confidently through the crowd, flanked by aid and escorts.
This event may appear surreal to outsiders, but the discussions are anything but.
The Shangri-La Dialogue is a yearly occurrence where military personnel, who typically prepare for armed conflict, participate in civil, moderated debates.
The stakes this year are particularly high.
War is occurring in the Middle East and Europe, while China's growing assertiveness is causing anxiety throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The Singapore summit brought key players together.
The president of the Philippines, a nation experiencing increased targeting of its vessels by Chinese coast guard ships in the contested South China Sea, even gave a keynote speech. Two days later, China's defense minister took the same stage for his debut appearance.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprising appearance, and a face-to-face meeting between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart occurred.
The conference location in Singapore made Asian events, particularly China's behavior, a central focus.
In his keynote address, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a warning about the ongoing conflicts between Philippine and Chinese Coast Guard vessels in a disputed part of the South China Sea.
"If a Filipino citizen is killed by a willful act," he said, "that is I think, very, very close to what we define as an act of war."
Two days later, China's Adm Dong fired back from the same stage, accusing the Philippines of "blackmail" in the maritime dispute.
"There is a limit to our restraint," said Admiral Dong Jun.
This display was perceived as a threat by Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a research professor at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Center who has attended the Shangri-La Dialogue for twenty-one years.
"In decades past, the Chinese only came in a small number and they were extremely quiet," she said. "Now they're very self-confident...they intervene in all the sessions."
The open nature of the Shangri-La Dialogue allows delegates to directly question speakers.
After his speech on Sunday, China's Dong faced many questions about Beijing's increased threats towards self-governing Taiwan as well as its claimed territory in the South China Sea, and he remained unapologetic in his responses.
"The separatists in Taiwan's newly-elected government would be 'nailed to the pillar of shame in history,'" he said.
But during other significant moments, Chinese military officers used Q&A sessions to share their views.
Senior Colonel Yanzhong Cao of China's People's Liberation Army questioned US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the US potentially creating a NATO-like alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, claiming, "the eastward expansion of NATO has led to the Ukraine crisis."
"I respectfully disagree," Austin replied, prompting applause from the audience.
"The Ukraine crisis obviously was caused because Mr. Putin made a decision to unlawfully invade his neighbor," Austin continued. "This was brought on because of a decision by Mr. Putin."
Later, Ukrainian leader Zelensky received a rock-starlike reception when he unexpectedly attended the conference, dressed in his trademark combat fatigues and black t-shirt.
"We stand with you," Ng Eng Hen, Singapore's minister of defense, later told Zelensky.
However, the large contingent of Chinese army officers present at other sessions was notably absent during Zelensky's speech, and the Ukrainian leader said he was unsuccessful in securing a one-on-one meeting with Chinese officials during his Singapore visit.
He also accused Beijing of aiding Ukraine's enemy.
"With China's support to Russia, the war will last longer. That is bad for the whole world, and the policy of China – who declares that it supports territorial integrity and sovereignty and declares it officially. For them, it is not good," Zelensky told journalists.
It was unclear if Zelensky acquired new support for Kyiv from non-aligned southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Instead, Indonesian president-elect and retired general Prabowo Subianto, who will lead the world's most populous Muslim nation, used much of his speech to call for an end to the ongoing violence in Gaza and an investigation into recent Israeli attacks that killed dozens of displaced civilians in Rafah.
Another significant topic was speculation about the United States' future direction.
The Singapore summit began soon after a jury in a New York City court found former US President Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money criminal trial.
Asia is keeping a close eye on whether Trump will be re-elected in November and the potential consequences for the most populated continent, where several geopolitical fault lines already exist.
Recently, US Representative Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suddenly cancelled a planned interview with CNN. His fellow Republican Senator Dan Sullivan also preferred not to discuss Trump during a meeting with journalists, instead directing them to a press release.
Sullivan stated, "This is a very sad day for America and the rule of law," describing the verdict as a "gross misuse of our justice system."
However, during a conversation with reporters, the Senator from Alaska also praised what he called America's "commitment to freedom and democracy," viewing this as a competitive advantage over "authoritarian aggression led by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea."
Sullivan was among a bipartisan delegation aiming to showcase the support of the US Congress for its Asian allies.
"The dictators we are aligned against…have poor allies," Sullivan said.
Nonetheless, there are also concerns about the reliability of the US.
An academic from Japan, America's closest ally in Asia, posed questions about Trump's potential return to power to defense chiefs from Singapore and Malaysia. He deemed it a "nightmare" situation.
These remarks evoked mild laughter from both the audience and the stage.
Singapore's Dr. Ng Eng Hen responded, "We will work with any administration in any country if we can find common ground."
I can still recall the anxiety at the 2017 Shangri-La Dialogue, which took place not long after Trump's inauguration.
At that event, Trump's then-defense secretary, James Mattis, attempted to reassure America's defense partners who were worried about the unpredictable new president.
"Bear with us," Mattis told the audience, after being asked if the "America First" commander-in-chief would contribute to the dismantling of the post-World War II order. "Once we've exhausted all possible alternatives, the Americans will make the right decision. We will still be there."
Seven years later, policymakers must address a range of challenges beyond the political future of the US.
One by one, military and naval leaders expressed their concerns about climate change, nuclear proliferation, wars in Europe and the Middle East, and potential miscalculations between the US and Chinese militaries that could lead to disaster.
"The world cannot withstand a third geopolitical shock," Singaporean defense chief Dr. Ng cautioned, reminiscing about the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
In this tense geopolitical climate, it's preferable for commanders to don their uniforms and mingle in the corridors of a five-star hotel rather than point their guns at each other on the battlefield.
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The stakes of the Shangri-La Dialogue are particularly high this year due to wars in the Middle East and Europe, as well as China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.
During the conference, China's defense minister took the stage two days after the Philippine president gave a keynote speech about conflicts between Philippine and Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the South China Sea.
