Southeast Asian defence ministers are meeting in the Laotian capital Vientiane for security talks, as the bloc looks to navigate maritime disputes in the South China Sea. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also part of the two-day meeting. Both the US and ASEAN are looking to trade assurances over regional stability, as uncertainty grows over how US foreign policy will change under a second Donald Trump presidency. Mr Austin had previously denounced what he called Beijing's "increasingly dangerous" and "unlawful activities" in the South China Sea.