Pentagon Chief Pledges US Technology Support to Counter China's Maritime Aggression in Southeast Asia

Nov 02, 2025 12:16 am CST

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has committed to sharing US technological capabilities with Southeast Asian allies to counter China's increasing "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea. During meetings in Kuala Lumpur with ASEAN defense ministers and key allies, Hegseth proposed building shared maritime domain awareness systems while emphasizing America's commitment to ensuring regional partners are not alone when facing territorial provocations from Beijing.