Australia supports the US in establishing dialogue with China

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a press conference in Singapore on June 2.

Reuters reported on the evening of June 2 that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country supports US President Joe Biden's efforts to establish dialogue with China.

The content was mentioned by the leader when delivering the opening speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, one of the most important security forums in the Asia- Pacific region organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS, headquartered in the UK) from June 2-4.

Prime Minister Albanese said China's economic transformation had benefited the entire Asia- Pacific region and he would put dialogue at the heart of his relationship with Beijing.

US-China tensions expected to dominate Asia security conference Shangri-La Dialogue

In addition, the leader said Australia's defense capabilities are not for war preparation but for prevention. He affirmed that the relationship with the US is bound by common values ​​and strategic interests.

According to information from the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a brief exchange with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on June 2. Accordingly, the two ministers shook hands but "did not have a substantive exchange".

Previously, The Wall Street Journal reported that China had rejected the US's request to hold a meeting between the two countries' defense ministers on the sidelines of the security forum.

On the morning of June 2, Singapore's acting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is replacing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is recovering from Covid-19, received Mr. Lee Thuong Phuc.

According to The Straits Times , Mr. Wong and Mr. Lee reaffirmed the long-standing bilateral defense relationship between Singapore and China, and welcomed progress in defense cooperation under the Enhanced Defense Exchange and Security Cooperation (ADESC) framework signed in October 2019.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a meeting with Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen (right)

Also on the morning of June 2, Secretary Austin met with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen. Minister Ng thanked the United States for its long-standing support for training Singapore Armed Forces in the United States, including basing training units of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

Secretary Austin appreciated Singapore's consistent support for the US military presence in the region, including rotational deployments.

The two ministers looked forward to strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly through the RSAF’s acquisition and operations of the F-35B. They discussed geopolitical developments in the Asia-Pacific and agreed on the importance of continued US engagement in the region.

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