Hegseth Pitches Bold US-ASEAN Defense Pact for 50th Year
(MENAFN) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday to join Washington in an “ambitious” defense cooperation framework, as China’s defense chief stayed away from the regional talks.
Speaking to the assembled ASEAN defense chiefs in Cebu City, where the Philippines holds the bloc’s current chairmanship, Hegseth cast next year’s 50th anniversary of US-ASEAN ties as an “important milestone.” He then laid out the proposal: “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 underscored the stakes, calling the period ahead “a critically important next several years.”
He described Washington’s strategy in three words. “The approach we’re taking we describe as strong, quiet, and clear. Strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics, and to let our actions speak for themselves,” Hegseth said.
His remarks came as Dong Jun, China’s defense minister, skipped this year’s ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus. Beijing sent its military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Manila to represent the country instead.
Hegseth acknowledged that differences will remain. “We’re not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to,” he told his ASEAN counterparts.
“But an agreement on the fundamentals is enough to support practical cooperation where our shared interests are overlapping and are clear.”
The US secretary said Washington will partner with Singapore, which takes over the ASEAN chair next year, on the proposed framework and “as we look to the future in this region, I’d like us to be even more ambitious.”
The Cebu City talks combine the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting with the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus. The latter also draws defense chiefs from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and India, though China did not send its defense minister this year.
Speaking to the assembled ASEAN defense chiefs in Cebu City, where the Philippines holds the bloc’s current chairmanship, Hegseth cast next year’s 50th anniversary of US-ASEAN ties as an “important milestone.” He then laid out the proposal: “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 underscored the stakes, calling the period ahead “a critically important next several years.”
He described Washington’s strategy in three words. “The approach we’re taking we describe as strong, quiet, and clear. Strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics, and to let our actions speak for themselves,” Hegseth said.
His remarks came as Dong Jun, China’s defense minister, skipped this year’s ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus. Beijing sent its military attache at the Chinese Embassy in Manila to represent the country instead.
Hegseth acknowledged that differences will remain. “We’re not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to,” he told his ASEAN counterparts.
“But an agreement on the fundamentals is enough to support practical cooperation where our shared interests are overlapping and are clear.”
The US secretary said Washington will partner with Singapore, which takes over the ASEAN chair next year, on the proposed framework and “as we look to the future in this region, I’d like us to be even more ambitious.”
The Cebu City talks combine the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting with the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus. The latter also draws defense chiefs from China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and India, though China did not send its defense minister this year.
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