Photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images
U.S. president Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia during the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit late last month signaled U.S. attention to a region wary of Washington’s intentions. Trade was the focus during the president’s trip but a few days later security took center stage as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in Malaysia for the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+). The secretary met with counterparts from across Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific in Kuala Lumpur before continuing on to Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea.
After joining President Trump for meetings in Tokyo, Hegseth arrived in Kuala Lumpur on October 30 where he held a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian host, Defense Minister Khaled Nordin. The two inked a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation and announced the renewal of an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement. Hegseth also met that day with Philippine defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro and announced “Task Force Philippines,” a joint initiative aimed at improving U.S.-Philippines cooperation and interoperability for contingencies in the South China Sea and beyond. In a follow-up statement, U.S. Pacific Fleet underscored that the task force would not introduce new combat forces, conduct offensive operations, or result in permanent military basing.
The next day, Hegseth met with Chinese defense minister Dong Jun to discuss the resumption of a U.S.-China military hotline and to communicate U.S. concerns about Chinese behavior in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. Hegseth also signed a framework agreement on defense with Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh to expand defense cooperation over the next decade.
On the same day, Hegseth and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha announced the resumption of Angkor Sentinel, an annual joint exercise that has been suspended since 2017. The two sides also floated the possibility of a U.S. naval ship visit to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, which has been upgraded with support from China and at which Chinese forces are believed to have special access. A week later, the United States formally lifted an arms embargo imposed on Cambodia in 2021 as a result of its growing relationship with China and human rights violations.
Hegseth attended the ADMM+ on November 1 and then traveled to Hanoi the following day for meetings with General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and Defense Minister Phan Van Giang to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Giang and Hegseth agreed to strengthen cooperation on cybersecurity and war legacy issues, including dioxin remediation and the removal of unexploded ordnance, which were disrupted by the suspension of most U.S. foreign assistance earlier this year. After Vietnam, Hegseth flew to South Korea for the final leg of his trip.
Hegseth’s visits demonstrated continuity with traditional U.S. defense engagement in the region. Partners will remain uncertain about the depth of commitment on issues like the South China Sea and Taiwan. Ultimately, those anxieties trace to President Trump’s unclear position on competition with China and so cannot be assuaged by the secretary of defense or anyone else. But the overall effect of this trip, following on the heels of President Trump’s generally positive engagements in the region, was to reassure nervous allies and partners that a U.S. strategic retreat from the Indo-Pacific is not imminent.
Japhet Quitzon is an Associate Fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Gregory B. Poling is a senior fellow and director for the Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS.
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