U.S., Chinese Defense Chiefs Confirm Plan to Reopen Hotlines in First Face-to-Face Meeting

SINGAPORE—U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met China’s new defense minister face-to-face for the first time. They reaffirmed plans to reopen direct lines of communication between their militaries. This is part of an effort by both sides to prevent frictions in Asia from shattering a fragile rapprochement. Communication was a primary topic of discussion in Austin’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, at the start of a security conference in Singapore.