U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth attends the defense ministers’ high tea at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov. 1, 2025. Hasnoor Hussain/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized China’s increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea in remarks on Nov. 1, calling on Southeast Asian countries to work closely with the United States to face Beijing’s aggression.
Hegseth made the remarks while meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on his second day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He said China’s provocative actions, including using its vessels to ram other ships and firing water cannons, threaten the sovereignty of its neighbors and undermined regional stability.
