Do they take themselves too seriously? Maybe. Do they have access to a button that can change the world? Likely.
That is why the region’s defence personnel descend on the luxury hotel in Singapore’s glitzy Orchard area each year to debate and contest ideas about conflicts and how to avoid them.
Not everything they say is spectacularly new or mind-blowing. Most of these people – politicians and defence personnel acting for politicians – repeat lines they have used before.
And the lines are about one theme: China and its rising power and what that means for everyone.
Defence personnel and pundits – and media – descend on the Shangri-La hotel each year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Ultimately the stage belonged to China and its greatest rival, the United States.
The media room fell silent when defence chiefs Lloyd Austin and Li Shangfu gave their speeches. The typing however got louder as reporters filed yet another take of the saga of “US takes a swipe at China and China gives one back”.
And yet there is plenty of humour in all this posturing.
Next to rooms where countries congregate to have their “bilateral meetings” – or “bilats” – and gather to show good faith of unity, regular hotel patrons play tennis and splash about in the pool.
While reporters scamper to scope out who’s meeting whom, the rest of the world continues on, blissfully oblivious.
Inside the media room, the scampering develops into a jostle.
Too many reporters with too many video cables and too many empty coffee cups pack like sardines into the room.
Tensions rise especially when it comes to seats and tables. There are just not enough of them, and hard words are muttered when a video journalist leaves their equipment on a spare spot and disappears for the day.
Perhaps they are stuffing their faces with fried dumplings from the main rooms with the uniform-types – there are never enough snacks for the hungry reporter.
While attendees may not have got their version of world peace this year, one thing is for sure, it’s all about turning up.
The optics and the sense of power is what makes the world go round.
