U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks on Friday with counterparts from China and India, among a series of face-to-face meetings at an ASEAN defense summit in Malaysia as Washington seeks to boost its influence and regional security ties.
Hegseth said on X he told China's Dong Jun the United States would "stoutly defend its interests" and maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, while voicing concern about Chinese activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
He also hailed as "a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence" a new 10-year defense cooperation framework signed with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
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