Readout of Adm. Samuel J. Paparo’s Meetings on the Sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Conference

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan McLearnon | Left to right, Lt. Gen. Norimichi Shirakawa, Japan Self-Defense Force vice chief of staff, joint staff office,Gen. N. S. Raja Subramani, chief of defence staff, Indian Armed Forces and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Pacific Command and Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of the defence force of Australia, discuss shared security interests during a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting on the sidelines of the 28th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Conference in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Aug. 31, 2026. The conference brought together chiefs of defense and senior military leaders from 29 countries under the theme “Strengthening Collective Security: Navigating Challenges in a Dynamic Indo-Pacific Landscape.” US PACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, and deterring aggression. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan D. McLearnon)  

VICTORIA, CANADA

09.02.2026

Story by Lt.Cmdr. Chloe Morgan 

U.S. Pacific Command         

Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, met with senior military leaders and representatives from across the Indo-Pacific and beyond on the sidelines of the 28th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Conference in Victoria, Canada, Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

Paparo emphasized the importance of strong bilateral and multilateral relationships in advancing regional security and deterrence.

During the conference, Paparo participated in meetings of the Defense Cooperation Council and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and joined military leaders from ASEAN nations. Paparo also spoke with counterparts from the United Kingdom and Australia for an AUKUS conversation and met with Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee.

Discussing shared security interests, Paparo held bilateral meetings with a number of senior leaders representing countries including Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The meetings focused on strengthening operational cooperation, information-sharing, maritime security and readiness across the Indo-Pacific.

Paparo met with Maj. Gen. Pawan Raj Ghimire, general officer commanding of the Nepali Army’s Eastern Division, to express his condolences following the recent disaster in Nepal.

Paparo also met with Gen. Yang Zhibin, commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, marking their first in-person meeting. The two leaders discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between senior U.S. and Chinese military leaders to reduce the risk of miscalculation and promote safe and professional conduct between forces.

• Date Taken: 09.02.2026
• Date Posted: 09.03.2026 20:45
• Story ID: 573963
• Location: VICTORIA, CA