Hegseth Meets Indo-Pacific Defense Chiefs in Philippines
During a bilateral meeting in Cebu City, Hegseth and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh “took stock of progress on operational coordination, information sharing, and defense industrial cooperation,” according to a Pentagon statement.
Cebu City is hosting the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting through Thursday. Defense chiefs from the bloc’s 11 member states are also scheduled to hold separate meetings with partner countries, including the United States, India, South Korea, Australia and Japan.
China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun did not attend the gathering. China’s Embassy in Manila was instead represented by its defense attaché.
Hegseth and Singh also “exchanged views on areas for further collaboration and committed to expanding the U.S.-India major defense partnership in support of shared interests across the region.”
In talks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, Hegseth discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen military cooperation and reinforce the US-Australia alliance.
The two officials “agreed on the need to swiftly execute force posture collaboration, including investments at Australian air force bases and investments to enhance combined logistics capacity,” the Pentagon said.
They also “discussed opportunities to better coordinate on U.S. and Australian approaches to regional deterrence and support common-sense strategies to preserve a favorable balance of power in the Pacific.”
During his meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Hegseth “reaffirmed the indispensable role of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in preserving peace and stability in the Pacific,” according to the Pentagon.
Their discussions also covered “efforts to strengthen deterrence through enhanced bilateral access, presence, and realistic training and exercises across Japan, including live-fire exercises.”
Hegseth additionally met South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, discussing the military partnership between Washington and Seoul.
The US-South Korea alliance “is built on peace through strength-ready forces, decisive capability, and combined lethality that deters aggression,” Hegseth wrote on the US-based social media platform X.
“America stands with allies that are serious about their own defense,” he added.
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