World defense officials hold talks in Singapore with tensions between China and the US as backdrop

By DAVID RISING
Associated Press

SINGAPORE (AP) — Top defense officials, government leaders and diplomats from around the world are gathering in Singapore for Asia’s premier security forum this weekend, which comes at a time of increasing tension between the United States and China, as both look to win new influence and allies as they press competing agendas in the Indo-Pacific region. Beijing in recent years has been rapidly expanding its navy and is becoming growingly assertive in pressing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. The U.S., meantime, has been ramping up military exercises in the region with its allies to underscore its “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept.