Hegseth Says U.S. Ready To Share Tools To Help Allies Counter ‘Aggressive’ China
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sounded the alarm in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, warning Southeast Asian nations of Beijing’s growing hostility in the South China Sea and pledging American support to bolster regional defenses.
In a high-stakes series of meetings with ASEAN ministers and key allies including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines, Hegseth criticized China’s “destabilizing actions” and promised access to U.S. technology to help counter mounting maritime threats. “You live it on the threats we all face from China’s aggression,” he told leaders, “and we need to develop our joint capabilities to respond.”
Hegseth called for building a shared maritime domain awareness framework to better track and react to Chinese provocations. “No one can innovate and scale like the United States of America,” he said. “We’re eager to share those capabilities with allies and partners.”
The comments came just one day after a joint naval patrol between the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines drew fury from Beijing. A Chinese military spokesperson claimed the exercise “seriously undermined peace and stability,” even as China continues to send heavily armed coast guard vessels deep into the territorial waters of its neighbors.
China asserts near-total sovereignty over the South China Sea, overlapping the economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Its coast guard has repeatedly been accused of harassing energy exploration and fishing vessels and even damaging Philippine supply ships.
China’s defense minister, Dong Jun, pushed back Friday, insisting Beijing wants to “pool Eastern strength” with ASEAN to preserve peace. But Hegseth made clear the U.S. isn’t buying it, telling defense leaders, “We seek peace. We do not seek conflict, but we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else.”
Hegseth also acknowledged growing concern over President Trump’s latest announcement that he had directed the U.S. military to begin testing nuclear weapons again after more than three decades. While it’s unclear whether that meant missile flight testing or full-scale nuclear detonations, Hegseth told reporters, “We have very capable nuclear capabilities, and testing them is only prudent.”
The trip marks one of Hegseth’s most forceful public rebukes of China to date. He closed his remarks by reiterating the United States’ commitment to freedom of navigation, territorial sovereignty, and mutual defense: “If anyone is on the receiving end of aggression and provocation, they are, by definition, not alone.”