Pete Hegseth condemns China’s ‘destabilizing actions’ in the South China Sea and pledges US support to Southeast Asian allies: reports

Chief of the Pentagon Piet Hegseth on Saturday condemned Beijing for its escalating “destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea during multilateral defense talks in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Unpleasant In a CNBC report, Pete pledged American technological support to help Southeast Asian countries counter Chinese threats.

Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer, spoke to defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with representatives from Australia, Japan and the Philippines, and suggested the development of shared maritime monitoring capabilities.

“You are seeing firsthand the threats we all face from Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and beyond,” he said.

US technology sharing initiative

Hegseth emphasized the need to create collaborative response systems and monitoring tools to ensure that countries facing aggression are not alone. He said no one can innovate and scale like the United States and that he is eager to share these capabilities with allies and partners.

Deployment of Chinese coast guard disputed

Through a line on its maps that crosses parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea.

According to reports, China has coast guard ships located hundreds of kilometers outside the mainland. These ships have reportedly collided with Philippine vessels several times and are accused of disrupting energy operations in Malaysia and Vietnam. Beijing says its coast guard acted professionally in protecting Chinese territory from incursions and denies engaging in aggressive behavior.

Last year, Beijing urged Washington to refrain from “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea.

Dong JunChina’s Defense Minister said on Friday that China and ASEAN should work together to “join eastern forces” to ensure peace and stability.

Notes on Nuclear Testing

Hegseth’s visit came after the president Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had asked the US military to ‘start testing our nuclear weapons’, after a 33-year hiatus.

Asked by CNBC reporters what kind of tests Trump was referring to, Hegseth said his department would comment later, adding: “We have very capable nuclear capabilities, and testing them is only prudent.”

The Pentagon chief also announced on X that he had signed a 10-year US-India Defense Framework with India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singhcalling it “a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.”