U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth began a round of talks with Asian counterparts on Friday at a defence summit in Malaysia, urging closer cooperation to counter China's growing assertiveness and signing a 10-year military pact with India.
Hegseth said he told China’s defence minister, Dong Jun, that the United States would “stoutly defend its interests” and maintain the Indo-Pacific balance of power, expressing concern about Chinese actions in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
He hailed the new framework agreement with India’s defence minister, Rajnath Singh, as “a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.” The pact is intended to deepen military cooperation over the next decade, despite strained trade ties following Washington’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods in August, imposed over New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
Indian officials paused major U.S. defence acquisitions after the tariffs, and both sides are expected to review procurement plans during the summit. Hegseth is also scheduled to meet defence ministers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, as Washington seeks to strengthen partnerships across Southeast Asia.
Delegations from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia are attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
On Thursday, Hegseth met Malaysia’s defence minister, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, with both reaffirming commitment to maritime security in the South China Sea. The waterway, claimed almost entirely by China, overlaps the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
“Grey-zone tactics, such as hydrographic research conducted under the protection of foreign coast guard vessels, threaten sovereignty and are a clear provocation,” Khaled Nordin said in a joint statement. Beijing insists its coastguard operates “professionally” in defending Chinese territory.
The United States maintains a long-standing defence pact with the Philippines, alongside regular exercises with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. President Donald Trump told ASEAN leaders on Sunday the United States would remain “a strong partner for many generations.”
Ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. military to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing concerns over China’s expanding arsenal. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said the bloc continued to oppose nuclear weapons and was pressing the five recognised nuclear powers to endorse a Southeast Asian nuclear-free zone.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Trump this week she would raise defence spending to 2% of GDP, after Hegseth urged Tokyo to move faster, calling the U.S.–Japan alliance “critical to deterring Chinese military aggression.”
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday t...
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have sur...
Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday (2 March), af...
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a ...
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent mil...
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its third day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
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