US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu have had a short conversation at a security summit in Singapore. The US Defense Department says the two shook hands and spoke briefly but did not have a "substantive exchange."

The exchange took place during a dinner on the first day of the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday. The two were seated at the same table.

Attention had been focused on whether Lloyd and Li would make contact during the summit.

The two sides have not had talks since February when the US military shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over the US mainland.

Ahead of the conference, China declined a US request for the defense chiefs to talk on the sidelines.

The defense ministers from Asia, the US and Europe, including Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu, are attending the summit.

Speaking at the dinner, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed support for the US effort to maintain open lines of communication with China.

He said it is "crystal clear that when it comes to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in Taiwan, the South China Sea, the East China Sea or elsewhere, the risk of conflict will always far outweigh any potential reward."