China has hosted Southeast Asian defence ministers, while expectations grow that the US might directly challenge Chinese claims in the South China Sea.
The meeting in Beijing marks the first time China has hosted such a gathering. Four of the countries from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations taking part have claims to seas and islands in the South China Sea that clash with Beijing's own.
The meeting was expected to skirt such contentious issues as China seeks to leverage such forums to soften its image. Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan did not directly mention the dispute in his opening remarks, pointing instead to the threats that terrorism, radicalism, natural disasters and major accidents pose to the region.
"China desires co-operation and dialogue with ASEAN defence bodies to together safeguard regional peace and stability and join hands to create a good security environment," Chang said.
Reporters were barred from the rest of the gathering and it wasn't immediately clear what issues were raised.
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The informal meeting will be followed by the Xiangshan Forum, at which analysts, military leaders and others from around the globe will discuss Asian-Pacific security, maritime issues and anti-terrorism.
"China wants to use these sorts of forums to promote China's views, explain China's policies and improve China's security image," said regional security expert Li Mingjiang of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
"Because the meeting is in Beijing, it would be hard for any country to confront China over the South China Sea," Li said. "There's also a lack of solidarity among ASEAN countries over the issue."
Since 2013, China has accelerated the construction of new islands atop reefs and atolls in the South China Sea and is adding buildings and airstrips in apparent attempts to boost its sovereignty claims to the territory.
Unnamed Pentagon officials said last week that the US Navy may soon receive approval to sail a ship inside the 12-nautical mile territorial limit surrounding China's man-made islands, reported the Navy Times, which is closely affiliated with the US Navy.
Sailing within the boundary would mark the first time the US has directly challenged China's territorial claims since 2012 and reinforce Washington's assertion that land reclamation does not add sovereign territory.
The US and its allies say the newly made islands threaten stability in an increasingly militarised region. China denies that claim, saying they're mainly intended to benefit the public good.
