Photo: MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images
On November 20, 2024, defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Vientiane, Laos, for the 18th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM). The ADMM-Plus discussions on November 21 were attended by ASEAN regional partners, including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand. Key global issues discussed included tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Within the region, issues surrounding Chinese behavior in the South China Sea and the conflict in Myanmar were top priorities.
Myanmar, still not in adherence to the five-point consensus laid down by the bloc after the 2021 coup, continues to present challenges to ASEAN. Singaporean defense minister Ng Eng Hen expressed that Myanmar’s repeated objections to increased ASEAN defense cooperation paralyzed the ADMM, which he characterized as behavior that threatened to undermine ASEAN centrality.
In discussing the South China Sea, the ministers emphasized the importance of negotiating a substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law. Progress on these negotiations, however, remains slow to nonexistent.
On the sidelines of these meetings, ASEAN’s defense ministers met with the Chinese defense minister Dong Jun and U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin. The dialogue offered a key opportunity for the United States and China to revive military-to-military communication channels. Secretary Austin’s attempts to engage Minister Dong in dialogue were unsuccessful. On the sidelines of the conference, Secretary Austin offered to meet with Minister Dong and revive military lines of communication between the United States and China. China refused, largely owing to its disapproval of the United States’ recent $2 billion arms sale to Taiwan in October, which included advanced surface-to-air missile systems.
On November 21, Secretary Austin convened defense chiefs from the United States, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and South Korea for a first-of-its-kind five-way dialogue. The five defense chiefs emphasized their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific based on international law and sovereignty and affirmed their countries’ commitment to defense cooperation.
Secretary Austin also unveiled the Defense Vision Statement for a Prosperous and Secure Southeast Asia, the Department of Defense’s vision for enhanced defense cooperation with ASEAN. By supporting the expansion of domain awareness capacity across air, sea, and cyberspace, the United States can help bolster ASEAN countries’ first line of defense against intrusions and coercion. Secretary Austin also announced the approval of a second U.S.-led maritime exercise with ASEAN countries, and renewed efforts toward education and training for ASEAN partners.
Japhet Quitzon is an Associate Fellow for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
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