Hegseth heads to Manila to shore up US ties with Asia-Pacific partners

The ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, or ADMM-Plus, is a regional defence forum. It brings together the 11 ASEAN countries and eight dialogue partners. Defence officials use it to discuss shared security concerns, including Myanmar’s civil war and maritime disputes. The meeting matters because it creates a common setting for governments with different interests.

The United States is sending Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to the talks in the Philippines. He will meet counterparts from India, South Korea and Japan, while other partners are also expected. Washington wants to solidify relationships after moving some military assets from Asia to the Middle East and sending mixed signals about Taiwan.

Hegseth’s main task will be reassurance. Analysts expect him to show that the United States remains committed to the Asia-Pacific, while maintaining its military advantage. A possible meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun could also support crisis communication between the two militaries.

ADMM-Plus brings together 19 countries in total: the 11 ASEAN members and eight dialogue partners. The ASEAN participants are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. They meet alongside larger powers and other regional partners.

The article names the United States, India, South Korea and Japan as participants whose defence officials will attend. Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China are also expected to send representatives. Together, these countries show the meeting’s broad reach across Southeast Asia, the wider Asia-Pacific and major global powers.

China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun had not confirmed his attendance in person. He could still appear at the last minute. The wide membership gives countries a place to discuss Myanmar, maritime disputes, military ties and ways to prevent tensions from becoming crises.

The South China Sea is expected to dominate because the Philippines is hosting and chairing this year’s summit. Manila has a direct dispute with China and is likely to push ASEAN to finalise a code of conduct. That agreement would set expectations for handling maritime disputes and conflicts in a strategically important waterway.

The sea contains overlapping claims involving the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China claims most of the area as domestic waters. The Philippines and China particularly contest Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands, creating repeated friction between their coast guards, vessels and officials.

Tensions rose sharply this month, with at least eight close encounters in the South China Sea and nearby Luzon Strait. A Chinese ambassador’s statement that Beijing could easily win a war with the Philippines intensified the dispute. The meeting therefore offers a forum for diplomacy, rules and crisis management.

The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the waterway as domestic waters. These competing claims concern control over maritime areas and features, making the sea a persistent source of disagreement.

China and the Philippines are especially at odds over the uninhabited Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands. Because both governments claim the same places, encounters at sea can quickly become political disputes. Recent tensions included at least eight close encounters in the South China Sea and nearby Luzon Strait.

The disagreement also creates wider regional pressure. China’s claims conflict with those of several ASEAN states, while the Philippines is pushing for a code of conduct. Such rules could clarify how countries approach disputes and manage conflicts. Without an agreed framework, confrontations and harsh public statements can continue escalating.

If the United States moves military assets away from Asia, partners may doubt whether Washington can respond quickly during a crisis. The article says the United States already moved some assets from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East. That shift has raised eyebrows across Asia, especially as the Iran conflict continues.

Perceived hesitation could affect Taiwan, Japan and South Korea differently. Trump has sent mixed signals about Taiwan, and he reportedly delayed a major arms package before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Allies and partners could therefore question the strength of American support, while China might test regional resolve more confidently.

The immediate result would not necessarily be war, but greater uncertainty. Countries could recalculate their security policies and seek stronger independent or regional arrangements. Hegseth’s visit is intended to counter that risk by reassuring governments that the United States remains committed, while balancing substance with continued US advantage.

Direct meetings create a channel for senior officials to discuss dangerous incidents before assumptions harden. The article links possible talks between Pete Hegseth and Dong Jun to China’s stated interest in strengthening crisis communication. Clearer communication can help officials understand what happened, signal restraint and avoid accidental escalation.

This matters in waters where close encounters are already occurring. At least eight incidents were reported in the South China Sea and nearby Luzon Strait. A direct US-China conversation could address military behavior, clarify red lines and establish contacts for use during a fast-moving confrontation.

Such meetings cannot settle the underlying territorial disputes. They can, however, reduce the chance that a collision, warning or public accusation becomes a larger conflict. A Hegseth-Dong meeting might also prepare the ground for later meetings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, while keeping military communication open.

ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, represented here by 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Its members hold their own defence ministers’ meeting and participate together in ADMM-Plus with outside powers.

This structure brings governments with different security concerns into one process. The agenda includes Myanmar’s civil war and maritime disputes involving China. The Philippines can also use its role as summit chair to press ASEAN toward a South China Sea code of conduct, giving regional states a collective diplomatic channel.

ASEAN’s forum shapes great-power competition by making regional partners part of the conversation. The United States seeks reassurance and stronger ties, while China remains central to maritime disputes and crisis communication. ASEAN cannot erase competing claims, but its meetings can encourage dialogue, rules and coordinated regional positions.