US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday stressed the need to maintain dialogue with China and its neighbours, to prevent current tensions in the region from spiralling out of control.
"Every conversation is not going to be a happy conversation. But it is important that we continue to talk to each other," Austin told the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.
However, despite the obvious differences of opinion, the secretary saw no immediate danger of escalation.
"You've also heard me say a number of times that, you know, war or a fight with China is neither imminent, in my view, or unavoidable," Austin said in his speech.
At the same time, he noted the importance of the United States supporting the interests of its allies and partners in the region.
Regarding the ongoing sparring between the Philippines and China, Austin also underscored the role of increased dialogue.
"There are a number of things that can happen at sea or in the air, we recognize that," he said. "But our goal is to make sure that we don't allow things to spiral out of control unnecessarily."
The defence chiefs of both superpowers, the US and China, held direct talks in Singapore the previous day. The meeting between Austin and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun also addressed issues relating to Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Austin expressed concerns about the activities of the Chinese military around Taiwan, according to the US Department of Defense. He also spoke about China's role in supporting Russia's defence industry.
At the conference in Singapore, which started on Friday and runs until Sunday, hundreds of ministers, military leaders and experts from around the globe are discussing the world's current trouble spots and threats.
Topics such as artificial intelligence, cyberdefence and future types of warfare are also on the agenda.