US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The US official had an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security summit taking place in Singapore from June 10-12.

According to a release from Singapore's Ministry of Defense, Austin said the US will continue to deepen cooperation with ASEAN, particularly in maritime security. It will also play a strong role in the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM), an annual forum of the regional bloc and its eight partner countries.