U.S. defence chief meets China and India at ASEAN summit amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions

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.”

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