World News| China and Singapore, the main partner of the United States, agree to open a top-level defense hotline

SINGAPORE, June 1 (AP) — China and Singapore on Thursday laid the groundwork for a hotline between the two countries that would see dialogue between Beijing and close U.S. partners in Asia to establish high-level communications links stalled.

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, a general in the People’s Liberation Army who was appointed in March, signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore’s Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen to establish a secure phone link “so that our national defense High-level communication between leaders”,” according to a statement released by Singapore.

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“Such high-level open channels of communication are important to strengthen mutual understanding and trust,” the statement said, without giving a timetable for when it would be established.

This is his first visit to Singapore as defense minister and he has discussed extensively global and regional security issues with a range of officials. Singapore said the defense establishments of the two countries “regularly interact through bilateral and multilateral exercises” and his visit highlighted a “long-standing, warm and friendly” relationship.

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Meanwhile, Singapore is a close military and economic partner of the United States, and the agreement to establish a direct telephone link comes amid tense communications between Washington and Beijing.

While in Singapore, Li Keqiang was expected to address a meeting of defense officials, diplomats and state leaders on Sunday, but rejected a request from Washington to meet on the sidelines with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who will be speaking at the same time. A Shangri-La speech. La Dialogue safety meeting on Saturday.

Among many issues, China has been angered by U.S. support for Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that it claims as territory, the shooting down of what the U.S. calls a Chinese spy balloon, and sanctions directed at Lee.

The sanctions are linked to a broad set of Washington measures against Russia but predated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and were imposed in 2018 over Li’s involvement in China’s purchase of fighter jets and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow.

The U.S. said the sanctions had largely prevented Li from doing business in the U.S., but had not prevented him from holding formal talks.

Earlier this week, Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry, said Austin’s proposal to hold talks in Singapore had been rejected because the US had “ignored China’s concerns and artificially created obstacles”.

“The U.S. side should show sincerity with practical actions, correct mistakes, and create necessary conditions and a good atmosphere for communication and exchanges between the two sides,” he said, without directly mentioning issues such as sanctions. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)