Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and his Singaporean counterpart, Ng Eng Hen, have agreed to establish a hotline between the two nations.

The ministers met for bilateral talks in Singapore on Thursday.

The Singaporean government says the secure telephone link will be used for communications between the countries' defense leaders and is meant to boost mutual trust.

Both sides also discussed ways to strengthen security cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Li is on his first visit to Singapore as defense minister.

He will also attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, which starts from Friday. The three-day annual security meeting draws more than 600 delegates from around the world to discuss a wide range of issues.

Li's meeting with Ng comes as Beijing is bolstering its presence in the South China Sea.

In April, it deployed a guided missile frigate and minesweeper hunter to Singapore as part of a bilateral naval exercise.

China is showcasing its efforts to deepen security ties with Singapore, which is also a close military and economic partner with the US.