Hegseth heads to Manila to shore up US ties with Asia-Pacific partners

What the report says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is traveling to Manila for a Southeast Asian defense meeting this week, where he is expected to meet counterparts from across the Asia-Pacific, including India, South Korea and Japan. According to Al Jazeera, the talks are the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, which runs Wednesday to Thursday in the Philippines and gathers ASEAN members plus dialogue partners including the United States, China, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

The article says the meeting comes at a time when regional governments are reassessing their security ties with Washington after the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran and amid shifting signals from President Donald Trump on alliances and Taiwan. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera said the US will likely try to reassure partners that it remains committed to the region, even as it has shifted some military assets toward the Middle East.

Regional security issues are expected to dominate the agenda, especially Myanmar’s civil war and maritime disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines, which is hosting the summit, is likely to press for progress on a code of conduct with China. Tensions in those waters have recently risen, with reported close encounters between Chinese and Philippine forces.

Al Jazeera also noted that a possible meeting between Hegseth and Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun could help maintain military communication between Washington and Beijing, even as both sides continue broader diplomatic engagement.