Hegseth Proposes a U.S.-ASEAN Defense Framework in the Philippines as Chinese Ship Activity Nearly Doubles in the South China Sea
The proposal is preliminary: talks would start in 2027 and no new troops or treaty commitments were announced. The Daily Caller says Philippine forces counted 101 Chinese vessels in September, up from 56.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a defense summit in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday to pitch deeper military ties with Southeast Asia, the Daily Caller reports.
The proposal. Hegseth called for a U.S.-ASEAN Framework for Defense Cooperation to guide partnerships over the next several years. It would cover maritime surveillance, naval coordination and joint planning with the 11-member bloc. "We're not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to," he told defense ministers, per Channel News Asia. Washington would begin talks in 2027, when Singapore chairs the ASEAN defense ministers' forum.
The limits. The Caller says the plan is preliminary. No formal agreement, added U.S. troop commitments or binding mutual defense obligations were announced, and it builds on existing ties. ASEAN members have different relationships with Beijing and a long tradition of noninterference, which could complicate it. The Pentagon declined to comment.
The pressure. Philippine forces logged 101 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels in four disputed areas in September, up from 56 in August. Chinese ships also interrupted a Philippine resupply mission near Second Thomas Shoal. Chinese forces shadowed the USS Charleston near Sabina Shoal after it entered disputed waters Oct. 20, according to China's Southern Theater Command. The carrier Liaoning recently approached U.S. and Japanese exercises involving about 56,000 personnel.
Japan. Hegseth also met Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Japan's ministry says the two sides agreed to share technical information to increase SM-3 Block IIA interceptor production and to set up an American-designed AMRAAM missile assembly facility in Japan.
Note for readers: the figures come from Philippine, Japanese and Chinese government statements as relayed by the Daily Caller. We have not checked them.