Pete Hegseth: US, China to Launch Military Dialogue Channels for Peace and Stability

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Sunday that Washington and Beijing have agreed to establish direct military-to-military communication channels, a move aimed at fostering stability amid escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Hegseth revealed he held discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, late Saturday, emphasising that "peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries." In a post on X, Hegseth described bilateral ties as "never better", crediting a recent meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea for setting a "tone for everlasting peace and success". This development follows a year of strained U.S.-China relations, marked by trade disputes and military posturing, and comes as both powers vie for influence in Southeast Asia.

Hegseth's conciliatory remarks contrasted sharply with his earlier address to ASEAN counterparts, where he lambasted China's "destabilising" actions in the South China Sea, including sweeping territorial claims that contravene commitments to peaceful dispute resolution. "We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else," he stated, referencing Beijing's recent designation of the Scarborough Shoal—a contested feature seized from the Philippines in 2012—as a "nature reserve," viewed by Washington as coercive expansionism. The South China Sea, through which $3.4 trillion in global trade passes annually, remains a flashpoint, with overlapping claims by China and ASEAN nations like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Manila, a staunch U.S. treaty ally, has reported over 100 clashes with Chinese vessels since 2023, including water cannon attacks and ramming incidents.

To counter these threats, Hegseth urged ASEAN to expedite a long-stalled Code of Conduct for the sea and proposed collaborative measures like a "shared maritime domain awareness" network for surveillance and rapid response, ensuring no member faces aggression alone. He welcomed an upcoming ASEAN-U.S. maritime exercise in December to bolster coordination and uphold freedom of navigation—a principle enshrined in the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling favouring the Philippines, which China rejected. These initiatives align with the Biden-Trump administration's Indo-Pacific strategy, which has allocated $8.1 billion in 2025 for regional alliances, including arms sales to Vietnam and joint patrols with the Philippines.

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China's response has been defiant, with the People's Liberation Army's Southern Theatre Command labelling recent Philippines-U.S.-Australia-New Zealand drills as "troublemaking" that undermines stability. Spokesperson Tian Junli accused Manila of sabotage, while Beijing maintains its patrols and island-building—reclaiming over 3,200 acres since 2013—are defensive safeguards for "indisputable" sovereignty. Analysts like Southeast Asia expert Bridget Welsh interpret Hegseth's dual messaging as "damage control", balancing deterrence against partnership potential, especially as ASEAN treads cautiously due to $1 trillion in annual trade with China.

This agreement on communication channels revives a framework suspended in 2022 after Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit, potentially reducing miscalculation risks in an arena hosting 40% of global submarine activity. As Hegseth departed for Vietnam—another claimant bolstering U.S. ties—the pact signals pragmatic de-escalation, though sceptics warn it may not curb Beijing's assertiveness without enforceable concessions. With ASEAN's 670 million consumers at stake, the U.S.-China dynamic will shape regional security for years, testing whether dialogue can temper rivalry in this strategic waterway.

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