Trilateral AUKUS partners will develop technology to protect undersea cables as seabeds increasingly become “battlefields”, Defence Minister Richard Marles says, as he urges transparency from China about its operations in the Taiwan Strait.

While the US defence secretary struck a more conciliatory tone on China, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the seabed was “becoming a battlefield”.

Singapore’s defence chief tells the Shangri-La Dialogue the pact aims to explore potential areas of collaboration and share best practices.