Direct talks between the defence ministers of the superpowers the United States and China took place on Friday as a major security conference kicked off in Singapore. The meeting between new Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin took place on the sidelines of the three-day Shangri-La Dialogue. The bilateral discussions covered issues relating to Taiwan and the South China Sea, both sides said. Austin expressed concerns about the activities of the Chinese army around Taiwan, according to the US Defence Department. He also spoke about China’s role in supporting Ru…