US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to travel to the Philippines this week for a regional defence gathering, as Washington tries to firm up relationships in Asia after a year clouded by the aftermath of the US-Israel war on Iran. He is expected to be joined by his counterparts from India, South Korea and Japan.
The talks, known as the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), run from Wednesday to Thursday. They bring together defence officials from the 11 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eight of the bloc's dialogue partners. Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China are also expected to send representatives. A parallel event restricted to ASEAN members will be attended by Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
On the sidelines, several dialogue partners will hold bilateral meetings. According to state media, India will use its sessions to review current defence ties and look at ways to strengthen strategic partnerships.
William Yang, senior analyst for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera that discussion will centre on security worries such as Myanmar's civil war and maritime disputes between ASEAN states and China. "The South China Sea dispute is going to be front and centre because the Philippines is the chair of this year's summit," he said. He expects Manila to press ASEAN to finalise a code of conduct with China on handling disputes in the strategically vital waterway.
The Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan hold overlapping claims in the South China Sea, though Beijing treats most of it as domestic waters. The disagreements frequently place China at odds with its neighbours, especially Manila, as both claim the uninhabited Scarborough Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands. Tensions climbed sharply this month, with at least eight close encounters recorded in the South China Sea and the nearby Luzon Strait, according to the US Naval Institute. The dispute also turned into a war of words after Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan said Beijing could "easily win" a war with the Philippines, leading a Philippine senator to demand his expulsion.
China has not confirmed whether Defence Minister Dong Jun will attend in person, though a late appearance remains possible. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund's Indo-Pacific Program, noted that Dong attended in 2024 and 2025, and Hegseth's presence could influence Beijing's thinking. Relations between the two powers have thawed over the past year, and a meeting between Hegseth and Dong could help prepare for two planned meetings later this year between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who have already met twice in 2026.
"I would not be surprised if Dong meets with Secretary Hegseth, especially since China has repeatedly said that it attaches importance to strengthening crisis communications and preventing crises between the US and Chinese militaries," Glaser told Al Jazeera by email.
Analysts say Hegseth's main task will be convincing ASEAN and its partners that the US stays committed to the region despite its months-long conflict with Iran. Asian capitals have noted the movement of some US military assets from South Korea and Japan to the Middle East, while Trump has sent mixed signals on Taiwan. He has reportedly delayed a major arms package for Taiwan ahead of a meeting with Xi at the APEC summit in November, followed by the G20 Leaders' Summit in December.
Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, said Hegseth's words and actions will be closely watched, given recent remarks by US defence official Elbridge Colby suggesting Washington would favour substance over empty gestures in the region. "How Hegseth keeps to these lines while trying to keep a US advantage will be interesting, since these are not easy calibrations to make," Chong said.
