Readout of Secretary Hegseth's Meeting With Southeast Asian Defense Ministers

View Online IMMEDIATE RELEASE Readout of Secretary Hegseth's Meeting With Southeast Asian Defense Ministers May 30, 2025 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with Southeast Asian defense leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste in Singapore today to discuss defense cooperation with regional partners. Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' enduring commitment to working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and support for the central role of ASEAN. The Secretary highlighted progress made in the U.S.- ASEAN relationship to build the defense capacity of Southeast Asian nations. He also expressed support for the vital role of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in facilitating multilateral cooperation to address the region's security challenges. Secretary Hegseth underscored the importance of common sense and pragmatic cooperation to deter aggression and achieve peace through strength. He noted that President Trump's vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific was as true today as it was when the President proclaimed it in 2017. Secretary Hegseth also highlighted U.S. support in co-chairing with Indonesia the ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise and ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Military Medicine later this year. Secretary Hegseth reiterated concerns about coercive activity by China against South China Sea claimant countries and emphasized the importance of Southeast Asian nations taking on its share of the burden to preserve peace and security in the region. As the United States reestablishes deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, the Secretary underscored that the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its Allies and partners against all challenges to their sovereign rights.

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