China's defence ministry on Thursday strongly condemned the deployment of a U.S. intermediate range missile system in the northern Philippines during military drills in April, saying it "brought huge risks of war into the region".

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,

The US and Chinese defence chiefs were in Singapore on Friday for a major security forum where they are set to hold rare direct talks, with Taiwan and other flashpoint disputes expected to dominate the three-day event.

United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met with China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Friday, in their first in-person dialogue in nearly 18 months and follows a video call between the two last month.

All eyes are on US-China relations at the Shangri-La Dialogue where Philippines' President is expected to discuss the nation's claim on the disputed South China Sea.