WASHINGTON -- Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson and Singapore Permanent Secretary for Defence Chan Heng Kee co-chaired the 11th Strategic Security Policy Dialogue in Singapore today.

They discussed regional developments, including the COVID-19 response across the region, developments in the South China Sea, counterterrorism, and the upcoming ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

The Acting Under Secretary and Permanent Secretary also used the occasion to discuss relevant areas of bilateral defense cooperation, including continued U.S. military access, Singapore’s future fighter detachment presence in Guam, cybersecurity, and defense technology cooperation.

They affirmed the importance of these annual discussions, and all bilateral defense dialogues, for strengthening cooperation and deepening the countries’ trusted partnership.