Chinese, Australian defense chiefs break ice with ‘frank and full’ talks

Bloomberg

Australia Defense Minister Richard Marles said he had a “very frank and full exchange” with his Chinese counterpart on Sunday, marking the highest-level meeting between the countries in more than two years amid a flare-up in tensions.
Marles said he discussed issues including the interception of an Australian aircraft by a Chinese jet last month with Defense Minister Wei Fenghe. Both were in Singapore for the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue.
The meeting serves as a “critical first step” to opening talks between two nations of consequence in the region, Marles said at the sidelines of Asia’s biggest annual security conference.