War Secretary Pete Hegseth says he had a "positive" meeting with China’s defense chief Dong Jun as both sides agreed to open military channels to ease tensions.

Officials from both nations will hold discussions to work out the details of how they will communicate. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

U.S. and China establish military communication channels, signalling improved relations amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea.

Pete Hegseth's remarks came just hours after the US defence chief urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China’s increasingly “destabilising” actions in the South China Sea.