The Straits Times comments that a high-level meeting between the United States and China postponed amid rising tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea finally took place last Friday. But at a press conference after the meeting, differences over these issues were on full display even as both sides tried to steer the bilateral relationship away from the frictions that have plagued it recently. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said the US is not pursuing a Cold War or containment policy with China. "Rather, we want to ensure that China acts responsibly and fairly, in support of security and prosperity in each of our two countries," he said at a press conference with Secretary of Defence James Mattis after talks with top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe China similarly downplayed competition between the two powers, with Mr Yang saying: "Everything that we do is to deliver better lives for the Chinese people, to realise the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is not intended to challenge or displace anyone." The remarks come amid a growing mood in Washington that China's unfair trade practices and coercion against its neighbours had to be stopped, and suspicions in Beijing that the US wants to curtail its rise. The diplomatic and security dialogue came a week after President Donald Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping spoke by telephone about resolving their trade disputes.

Reuters reports that Asia-Pacific leaders will join the heads of Southeast Asian states this week in Singapore to renew calls for multilateralism and fresh pledges to resolve regional conflicts ranging from the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar to tensions in the South China Sea. Notably absent when regional powers such as China, Japan and India seek to enlist support for a multilateral trading system will be U.S. President Donald Trump, whose decision to skip the Asia summit has raised questions about his commitment to a regional strategy aimed at checking China's rise. Li is expected to rally support for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact now being negotiated, showcased to be the free trade deal that will encompass more than a third of the world's GDP. The pact includes 16 countries, including China, India, Japan and South Korea, but not the United States. Vice President Mike Pence will attend instead of Trump, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are among those expected to join leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).