By Danial Azhar
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was expected on Friday to hold two-way meetings in Malaysia during a gathering of Southeast Asian counterparts, as Washington seeks to strengthen security ties amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
Hegseth is expected to meet defence ministers from India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, among others, said an official speaking on condition of anonymity, who warned the schedule could change.
It was not clear if the Pentagon chief would meet any Chinese officials while in the Malaysian capital for the two-day meeting.
In his meeting with Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh, Hegseth was expected to discuss a review of India’s plans to buy U.S. military hardware, as well as a new India-U.S. defence cooperation framework.
Delegations from Australia, China, New Zealand, South Korea and Russia are also attending the meeting of defence ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
CHINESE GREY-ZONE TACTICS
Hegseth met Malaysia’s defence minister on Thursday and both leaders committed to maritime security in the disputed South China Sea.
Beijing has deployed a coast guard armada in the busy waterway that has clashed repeatedly with Philippine vessels and been accused of disrupting the energy activities of Malaysia 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 and threat,” Malaysian minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said in a joint statement.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea on its maps, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Unresolved disputes have festered for years over the sovereignty of multiple islands and features.
Beijing says its coastguard has operated professionally in defending Chinese territory from incursions.
The United States has sought to shore up its presence in Southeast Asia and counter the growing influence of China.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump told ASEAN leaders the United States was “with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations”.
Washington has a defence pact with the Philippines that involves dozens of annual military drills and use of some of its bases, in addition to similar exercises with Thailand and Indonesia and exchanges with Malaysia.
ORDER TO RESUME NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING
Shortly before meeting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. military to resume nuclear weapons testing amid a rapid expansion of China’s nuclear stockpile.
His administration’s efforts to persuade its allies to spend more on defence have caused friction, but Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Trump this week that she was determined to boost defence capabilities.
On Wednesday, Hegseth urged Japan to hasten plans to boost defence spending to 2% of GDP, saying the alliance between Washington and Tokyo was “critical to deterring Chinese military aggression”.
(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by David Stanway; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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