Beijing/Bangkok

Direct talks between the defence ministers of the superpowers, the US and China, took place on Friday as a major security conference kicked off in Singapore. The meeting between new Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin was held on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue.

The bilateral discussions covered issues relating to Taiwan and the South China Sea, both sides said. Austin expressed concerns about the activities of the Chinese army around Taiwan, according to the US Defence Department. He also spoke about China’s role in supporting Russia’s defence industry.

At the three-day conference in the South-East Asian Economic Centre, which kicked off on Friday, hundreds of ministers, military officials and experts from across the globe plan to discuss the world’s current trouble spots and threats.

Topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), cyber defence and future types of warfare are also expected to be discussed. Under Dong’s now-disappeared predecessor, Li Shangfu, there was radio silence between the defence authorities on both sides, as Washington had imposed sanctions on Li in connection with Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Li had not been seen since a public appearance at the end of August, then Beijing dismissed him for reasons that have not been revealed officially.

Since the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco in November, the military on both sides have also resumed contact.