Asia-Pacific security summit overshadowed by US-China tensions.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, an international defense summit, begins in Singapore with the US and China leading large delegations, but China has refused to let its defense minister meet with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the forum. Both countries are competing to strengthen partnerships with Asia-Pacific countries as they build up their military capacity in the region. The dialogue comes at an important moment in Southeast Asian politics, where smaller countries are maneuvering around how to position themselves around the great power rivalry between the US and China, and the South China Sea remains a hot button issue.