SINGAPORE, May 31, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US and Chinese defence chiefs held rare direct talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for further military dialogue aimed at preventing flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control.

The meeting between the United States' Lloyd Austin and China's Dong Jun began shortly before 1:00 pm (0500 GMT) at the Shangri-La hotel, which is hosting a major security forum, in the first substantive face-to-face talks between the two countries' defence chiefs in 18 months.