SINGAPORE—Defense officials from Britain, Canada, the Philippines as well as China gathered here on Saturday at Asia's top security summit, which US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III also addressed in a speech highlighting the need for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, met briefly on Friday at the opening dinner of the Shangri-La Dialogue. The two, however, 'did not have a substantive exchange,' the Pentagon said. Li had earlier declined a US invitation for a meeting with Austin at the summit.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/215505/defense-officials-stress-cooperation-at-asia-security-meet

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