US defence secretary in Singapore for security conference
Updated
The American Defence Secretary Robert Gates has arrived in Singapore to attend a regional security conference.
He'd earlier been in the US Pacific territory of Guam, where preparations are under way for a major redeployment of American troops from Japan.
He says the tour is about affirming that the United States is not distracted from its long-term interests in Asia by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the meeting draws defence and national security officials from around the region, including Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.
From Singapore, where the summit ends on Sunday, the American defence secretary is to head to Thailand and South Korea.
