Pentagon chief holds key talks with China, India at ASEAN summit as Indo-Pacific tensions rise
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth opened a high-stakes diplomatic push in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, meeting defence ministers from China and India on the sidelines of a major Southeast Asian security summit.
Hegseth told Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun the U.S. would “stoutly defend its interests” in the Indo-Pacific, while voicing alarm over China’s actions near Taiwan and in the South China Sea — a region where Beijing’s coast guard has repeatedly clashed with Philippine and Malaysian vessels, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The talks came just after Washington signed a landmark 10-year defence cooperation pact with India, hailed by Hegseth as a cornerstone for regional stability. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with defence chiefs from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand as the U.S. seeks to deepen security ties across Asia amid China’s growing assertiveness.
Malaysia’s defence minister sharply criticised China’s “grey-zone tactics” at sea, accusing Chinese-guarded research vessels of threatening Southeast Asian sovereignty.
The diplomatic sprint follows comments by President Donald Trump, who pledged full U.S. support to ASEAN partners and confirmed he has ordered preparations to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing China’s expanding nuclear arsenal.
With Washington expanding military drills across the region and urging allies like Japan to boost defence spending, the Kuala Lumpur summit underscores a rapidly intensifying power contest in Asia.
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