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U.S.-China divide looms as Asia security summit begins in Singapore

The summit has been overshadowed by China's refusal to let its defense minister meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the forum.

SINGAPORE – Tense U.S.-relations and an arms build-up in the Pacific region will be on show this weekend as defense chiefs, including from the U.S. and China, gather at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an international defense summit, in Singapore.

The Dialogue, which starts Friday, has been overshadowed by China's refusal to let its defense minister meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the forum. But both countries are still leading large delegations to the summit, which gathers diplomats, academics, defense contractors, journalists, and analysts from around the Pacific region.

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