Acting Pentagon chief, Chinese defense minister hold talks at Asia security summit

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan held talks on Friday at an Asia security summit in Singapore. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade and security.

Wei and Shanahan are both attending the annual Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore.

Speaking on the sidelines of the defense forum, Shanahan said that Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, like installing surface to air missiles, was “excessive,” Reuters reported.

China and the US have repeatedly traded barbs in the past over military installations on artificial islands and reefs.