Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth criticized China’s increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea on Nov. 1, calling on Southeast Asian countries to work closely with the United States to face Beijing’s aggression.
Hegseth made the remarks while meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on his second day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last week. He said Beijing’s provocative behaviors, such as its vessels ramming other ships and firing water cannons, threatened the sovereignty of its neighbors and undermined regional stability.
He said he welcomed hearing perspectives “on the threats we all face from China’s aggression and course of actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere.”…