Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has called on ASEAN and China to carry out more and bigger exercises in the future to build mutual confidence. He also urged China to engage more with other countries to assure them that the country’s rise is peaceful, The Straits Times reports. Previously, ASEAN members have told the US and China they are concerned about mounting tensions in the South China Sea, pointing to a recent near-miss incident involving the two countries’ warships. ASEAN announced last week it would start a joint naval drill with the US in 2019. As trade tensions between the US  and China seep out into the areas of defence and security, ASEAN defense ministers are choosing to maintain a balance between the two superpowers, Nikkei Asia Review reports.