US Defense Secretary Expresses Concern Over Lack of Communication with China.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern over China's increasingly assertive military actions in the region and called for open channels of communication between the two countries. China's refusal to meet with Austin at an upcoming security conference in Singapore was deemed unfortunate. Austin and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada agreed to strengthen extended deterrence for Japan, including U.S. nuclear weapons, and to expand defense industries and strengthen multinational formats with South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, and India to reinforce Indo-Pacific security cooperation.