KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks on Friday with counterparts from China and India, among a series of face-to-face meetings at an ASEAN defence summit in Malaysia as Washington seeks to boost its influence and regional security ties.
Hegseth said on X he told China's Dong Jun the United States would "stoutly defend its interests" and maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, while voicing concern about Chinese activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
He also hailed as "a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence" a new 10-year defence cooperation framework signed with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
"It's a significant step for our two militaries, a roadmap for deeper and even more meaningful collaboration ahead," Hegseth told reporters after the signing.
Hegseth and Singh met for the first time since the United States imposed tariffs of 50% on Indian goods in August as punishment for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, which led to India pausing purchases of U.S. defence equipment.
TRUMP CALL TO RESUME NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING
Hegseth's visit to Southeast Asia came soon after Trump shocked the world by announcing on social media that he had asked the U.S. military to "start testing our Nuclear Weapons", saying the United States could not fall behind Russia and China.But there has been confusion in Washington as to whether Trump meant testing nuclear weapons delivery systems such as missiles, or explosive testing of nuclear devices, which would mean ending a 33-year moratorium.
Hegseth did not respond when asked by a reporter on Friday to clarify what kind of nuclear tests Trump was referring to.
ASEAN is consistently opposed to nuclear weapons and working to get all nuclear weapons states to endorse a nuclear-free zone in Southeast Asia, Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told reporters on Friday, when asked about the resumption.
The U.S. has sought to shore up its presence in Southeast Asia to counter an increasingly assertive China, with Trump on Sunday telling ASEAN leaders Washington is "with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations".
The United States has a defence pact with the Philippines that involves dozens of annual military drills and use of some of its bases, in addition to similar exercises with Thailand and Indonesia and security exchanges with Malaysia.
'REESTABLISH DETERRENCE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA'
In a succession of X posts carrying images of his Kuala Lumpur meetings on Friday, Hegseth said he discussed a longstanding alliance with Thailand's defence minister, described Indonesia as "an anchor of regional stability" and said he discussed advancing Washington's strong defence partnership with the Philippines.
"We will work relentlessly to reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea and advance our alliance," he said of the meeting with the Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a line on its maps that overlaps with parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
China has deployed a coast guard armada to enforce those claims, has clashed repeatedly with Philippine vessels and has been accused of disrupting the energy activities of Malaysia and Vietnam.
Beijing says its coast guard has operated professionally in defending Chinese territory from incursions.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong told ASEAN counterparts that Beijing would work with its neighbours to "make the shield of common security even more solid".
"With Eastern wisdom, we shall pool Eastern strength, and through practical actions, safeguard lasting peace and stability in the South China Sea," he said, according to China's defence ministry.
Reporting by Danial Azhar; additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington, Shivam Patel in New Delhi and Ethan Wang in Beijing; writing by David Stanway; editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark Heinrich
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