Hegseth Visits Manila to Reassure Asia Allies

Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, travels to the Philippines this week to participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. The trip places him alongside defense leaders from India, South Korea, and Japan as Washington seeks to reinforce its standing in the Asia-Pacific region. The move comes after a year in which the US-Israel war on Iran consumed much of the administration’s strategic attention.

The gathering, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, includes defense officials from the 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Eight dialogue partners also attend, alongside representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and China. A parallel meeting for ASEAN members only runs concurrently, involving Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

India plans to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines to review existing defense ties and explore ways to strengthen strategic partnerships. William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that regional security issues will dominate the agenda. These include Myanmar’s ongoing civil war and maritime disputes between ASEAN states and China.

The South China Sea dispute is expected to be a central topic because the Philippines holds the summit chair. Yang expects Manila to push for ASEAN to finalize a code of conduct with China. This framework would outline approaches to maritime disputes and conflict management in the waterway. The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all hold overlapping territorial claims, while Beijing asserts sovereignty over most of the sea.

Tensions in the region escalated this month with at least eight close encounters recorded in the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, according to the US Naval Institute. Diplomatic friction increased when Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan stated that Beijing could easily win a war with the Philippines. A Philippine senator subsequently called for his expulsion.

Beijing has not confirmed whether Defense Minister Dong Jun will attend in person, though a last-minute appearance is possible. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific Program, noted that Dong attended the 2024 and 2025 meetings. She said Hegseth’s presence may influence Beijing’s decision. A face-to-face meeting between the two defense chiefs could prepare the ground for two planned meetings between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.

Trump and Xi have already met twice this year. Additional meetings are scheduled for the APEC summit in November and the G20 Leaders’ Summit in December. Glaser told Al Jazeera by email that a meeting between Hegseth and Dong is likely, citing China’s stated desire to strengthen crisis communications and prevent military conflicts between the two nations.

Analysts say Hegseth’s primary task is to reassure the bloc and its partners that the US remains committed to the region. This commitment is under scrutiny after the US moved some military assets from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East during the Iran conflict. Trump has also sent mixed signals regarding Taiwan, a potential flashpoint, by reportedly delaying a major arms package ahead of his meeting with Xi.

Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, noted that recent comments by US defense official Elbridge Colby suggest Washington will focus on substance over empty gestures in the Asia-Pacific. Chong said it will be interesting to see how Hegseth adheres to these lines while maintaining a US advantage, describing the balance as difficult to calibrate.