Singapore, China sign MOU to establish secure defence hotline

Singapore and China on June 1 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which the two countries will work toward establishing a Secure Defence Telephone Link for high-level communications between their defence leaders.

Singaporean Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen (right) and China State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General (GEN) Li Shangfu (left) (Photo:mindef.gov.sg)

According to Singapore's Defence Ministry, Minister Ng Eng Hen and his China counterpart Li Shangfu witnessed the signing of the MOU after they co-chaired the second Singapore-China Defence Ministers' Dialogue (DMD).

During the dialogue, both sides reaffirmed their commitment towards strengthening defence cooperation as agreed upon under the enhanced Agreement on Defence Exchanges and Security Cooperation (ADESC) signed in 2019. They also discussed global and regional security issues, and practical ways to strengthen ASEAN-China defence cooperation.

As part of his visit to Singapore, the Chinese Defense Minister will also be one of the key speakers at this year's Shangri-La Dialogue, where he will speak at a plenary session titled "China's New Security Initiatives".

The 20th Shangri-La Dialogue will take place from June 2-4, and it is expected to attract over 550 delegates from more than 40 countries./.

VNA