BEIJING - Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie will head a delegation to an Asia-Pacific security dialogue for the first time as China strives to cement ties with its neighbors.

Liang, also a State Councilor, will deliver a speech at the 10th Asian Security Summit organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore later this week.

"This is an indication of the importance China attaches to the preservation and improvement of security in the Asia-Pacific region," said Guan Youfei, deputy chief of the Defense Ministry's foreign affairs office, at a press briefing on Wednesday.

Liang will also meet with his counterparts from the United States, Singapore and other countries on the sidelines of the meeting, which will take place from June 3 to 5.

The Chinese delegation, which is comprised of senior officers, scholars and experts, is expected to elaborate on China's national defense policy and its proposition to enhance regional security cooperation, Guan said.

They will also represent China's unswerving determination to stick to the road of peaceful development in promoting international security cooperation, he said.

The dialogue will be attended by defense ministers and military chiefs from 28 Asia-Pacific states.

The dialogue is named after the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, where it has been held since 2002.