SINGAPORE -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, met on Tuesday in Cambodia, a Pentagon official confirmed to Nikkei, as the rival powers seek to maintain open lines of communication amid high tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The two defense chiefs are visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is holding its annual defense ministers meeting. The Austin-Wei meeting marks their second this year.