Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Cmdr. Gary Ross provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met June 3 with Singaporean Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a major annual forum for key leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, to discuss security challenges and opportunities.
The secretary and the minister of defense affirmed the long-standing bilateral defense relationship between the United States and Singapore. The two leaders exchanged views on the regional security environment in Southeast Asia and discussed a range mutual security interests, including countering violent extremism from terrorist organizations such as ISIS. The secretary expressed appreciation for Singapore hosting U.S. forces and emphasized the importance of its contributions to the defeat-ISIS campaign.
They also discussed shared interests in regional stability and the rule of law, and the strengthening of the U.S.-ASEAN relationship. With regard to the South China Sea, the two reaffirmed the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.