Singapore and the United States are now working on a "strategic security framework" to deepen the defense relations between the two countries.

According to Singapore's "Strait Times" newspaper on Wednesday,this was revealed by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Security and Defense Tony Tan on Tuesday.

Tan stressed that Singapore would not be an ally, but would deepen its engagement with the United States in defense and security.

He said that the island state supports the presence of the US military in the region because it adds an element of stability in Southeast Asia.

Currently, US warships call in Singapore for repairs and stopovers, as do US military aircraft. There is a US communications and logistics unit based in Singapore to coordinate the stopovers, and Singapore provides assistance whenever possible.

Source: Xinhua