The second ADMM-Plus - ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting plus their eight dialogue partners - in Brunei on Aug 29 will witness the second meeting between Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan and US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in 10 days.

The unprecedented second meeting between a Chinese defense minister and US secretary of defense in 10 days - the two held a meeting at the Pentagon on Aug 19 - highlights the progress China-US military-to-military relations have made. In more ways than one, this is a good omen for the once unpredictable security atmosphere in the Asia-Pacific region.

China and the US are expected to continue their positive interaction to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, so that all countries in the region can jointly address the challenges and share the accruing benefits. But apart from closer contacts and interactions among the large countries, a stable Asia-Pacific security structure also requires the involvement of the relatively small countries in the region. It is precisely in this aspect that the ADMM-Plus can play a vital role as a regional security cooperation platform to balance the roles of the big and small countries.