By Focus | 2025-11-07

US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in recent weeks advanced Washington's "peace through strength" policy across Southeast Asia, presenting a viable alternative to Beijing's revisionism in the South China Sea.

China considers more than 80% of that sea its territory, though an international court rejected that view in 2016.

Trump attended the US-ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 26, while Hegseth followed up with regional leaders as part of an ASEAN defense summit October 31-November 1.

Trump oversaw a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia; secured trade deals with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam; elevated relations with Malaysia and deepened US-Cambodia cooperation on defense and transnational crime, the White House said in a statement on October 26.

The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord capped months of diplomacy and targeted de-escalation along the Thai-Cambodian border, where a sporadically violent dispute since February displaced an estimated 300,000 people.

"My administration immediately began working to prevent the conflict from escalating," Trump said on October 26.

Under the deal, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to establish border observer teams. Thailand will release 18 detained Cambodian soldiers, and Cambodia will withdraw heavy weapons.

Washington also signed a US-Malaysia reciprocal trade agreement and a critical-minerals memorandum of understanding, pitching supply-chain resilience as part of regional deterrence and economic security.

Security and peace

During the ASEAN defense summit, Hegseth held a series of face-to-face meetings and multilateral talks with regional counterparts, pledging to help allies counter China's "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea.

The Pentagon chief proposed to ASEAN leaders the building of shared maritime domain awareness and noted Beijing's disrespect for territorial sovereignty.

"We need to develop our joint capabilities to respond" so that "whoever is on the receiving end of aggression and provocation is then, therefore, by definition, not alone," Hegseth said.

"No one can innovate and scale like the United States of America, and we're eager to share those capabilities with allies and partners," he added.

Addressing ASEAN defense ministers, Hegseth reiterated Washington's commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, while adding that the United States is committed to building a military "unmatched in global power."

After meeting with his Chinese counterpart Adm. Dong Jun late November 1 on the sidelines of the summit, Hegseth said Sino-US ties have "never been better" but cautioned that China should be monitored.

Washington and Beijing will establish military-to-military communication channels "to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise," he tweeted.

"China's sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully," Hegseth told his ASEAN counterparts.

"We seek peace. We do not seek conflict, but we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else," he added.

Deterrence in S. China Sea

Hegseth at the summit also announced a new US-Philippines task force and moved to strengthen US-Vietnamese security ties.

The joint initiative with the Philippines will increase the two nations' interoperability, exercises and preparedness "to decisively respond to crisis or aggressions, and reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea," he said.

"It bears repeating that [the] mutual defense treaty is critical for both of our countries, either of our forces, anywhere in the South China Sea it is applicable," Hegseth said. "We don't seek confrontation, but of course, we're ready to protect our interests, individually and mutually."

"The US-Philippine alliance should not be seen in isolation, because the alliance and moving forward now are based on fundamentals," said Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.

They are "respect for international law, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.

In a visit to Hanoi November 2 after the summit, Hegseth said Washington wants more military cooperation with Vietnam, noting the delivery of three cutters to the Vietnamese coast guard and three out of 12 planned T-6 trainer aircraft.

"The United States is committed to continuing these projects and more," Hegseth said. "Deeper [military] cooperation will benefit both of our countries."

Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Van Giang said the US-supplied equipment and infrastructure have significantly enhanced Vietnam's capacity to participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Regional contingencies

Hegseth on October 29 also discussed security with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Tokyo and made a two-day visit to Seoul November 3-4.

In Tokyo, Hegseth said the US-Japanese alliance is "critical to deterring Chinese military aggression" and to "responding to regional contingencies," pledging practical steps to strengthen interoperability.

Japan's defense chief said the allies would "do their duty" for Indo-Pacific peace and stability.

In Seoul, Hegseth said the alliance remains focused on North Korea but added there is "no doubt that flexibility for regional contingency is something we would take a look at."