Hegseth pushes US-ASEAN defense framework as China scales back at talks

MANILA, Philippines — United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed a new defense framework between the United States and Southeast Asia on Wednesday, October 28, telling the region’s defense chiefs that Washington wants guided cooperation over a “critically important” next several years.

Hegseth made the pitch in his opening remarks at an informal meeting with defense ministers of the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

"Next year marks the 50th anniversary formally of US-ASEAN relations, an important milestone, and in recognition of this milestone, we propose that we work together to develop a US-ASEAN framework for defense cooperation, a practical framework that guides our cooperation over the next several years," Hegseth said. "I will note a critically important next several years."   Washington, Hegseth said, was ready to begin work on it with Singapore, which takes over the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) from the Philippines this week. 

The proposal came as China scaled back its presence at the talks after Beijing decided to send only the defense attaché of its embassy in Manila to Thursday’s ADMM-Plus session.

This is Beijing's lowest level of representation since the defense meetings began in 2010. 

Hegseth described the US approach as “strong, quiet, and clear" and said it was meant to be strong enough to deter coercion and quiet enough to avoid escalation, while leaving partners and potential adversaries in no doubt about where Washington stands.

"We're not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to, but an agreement on the fundamentals is enough to support practical cooperation where our shared interests are overlapping and are clear, and that's the type of cooperation the Department of War will continue to pursue with our ASEAN partners," he said.

Hegseth identified maritime domain awareness, interoperability and closer cooperation among navies as priorities for the Department of War, the name the Trump administration now uses for the Pentagon. 

In May, Hegseth praised the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Australia for raising defense spending and warned of consequences for nations that rely on others for their security.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who chaired the meeting, said a robust US presence was “necessary for peace and stability in Southeast Asia and in the broader Indo-Pacific region.”

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