But the trilateral summit promotes lower-level dialogue among senior officials, encourages key people-to-people exchanges and maintains ties, an analyst says.
Analysts say the meeting in Singapore serves as a chance for the two nations to establish open lines of communication that can help to reduce tensions in Asia
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Dong Jun and Lloyd Austin are set to hold talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Analysts see the meeting as positive, but say the two sides are likely to dig their heels in on issues like the disputed waterway.