SINGAPORE: China and Singapore on Thursday laid the groundwork for a hotline between them that would establish a high-level communications link between Beijing and a close American partner in Asia at a time when Chinese tensions with Washington are high and dialogue has stalled.

Li Shangfu, a general in China's People's Liberation Army who was named the country's defense minister in March, signed a memorandum of understanding with his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen to work toward establishing a secure telephone link 'for high-level communications between our defense leaders,' said a statement released by Singapore.