US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed developing a US-ASEAN framework for defense cooperation on Wednesday, at the ASEAN defense ministers’ meetings in Cebu in the Philippines. He said the framework would guide ties over what he called the critically important next several years, as the United States and ASEAN mark half a century of formal relations next year.
Hegseth pledged practical cooperation rather than symbolism: stronger maritime domain awareness, greater interoperability and cooperation among navies, and joint training and planning. “These are not symbolic things. They are concrete demonstrations of what serious partners do,” he said. He described the US approach as strong, quiet and clear, and said Washington would defend its interests and those of its allies and partners.
The context is a credibility question. BusinessWorld reported that Hegseth is visiting as governments in Southeast Asia and the wider region weigh Washington’s ability to stay focused on Asia while the Iran war strains US military resources and creates political pressure at home. The Philippines, a US treaty ally hosting the meetings under its ASEAN chairmanship, has repeatedly faced confrontations with Chinese forces in disputed parts of the South China Sea.
On the bilateral track in Cebu, Hegseth also met India’s defense minister Rajnath Singh to review the 10 year India-US defense framework signed in October 2025, covering military technology, information sharing and co-production.
No framework text exists yet. Hegseth said Washington was ready to begin developing it with Singapore as it prepares to chair the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in 2027. Until a draft appears with activities and funding attached, the proposal is a stated intention, reported, not an agreed instrument.