US, ASEAN defense chiefs meet in Cebu to address South China Sea tensions

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. opened the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu on Wednesday, October 28, urging members not to allow internal differences to divide the bloc. He stated that ASEAN was founded on the belief that strength lies in diversity and that disputes, including those in the South China Sea, should be settled through peaceful and legal means.

The two-day meeting at the Mactan Expo in Lapu-Lapu City runs from October 28 to 29. Defense officials are expected to address regional security, disaster risk reduction, protection of underwater critical infrastructure, food and energy security, and preparedness for the super El Niño.

“These are not symbolic things. They are concrete demonstrations of what serious partners do.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the meetings and pledged stronger defense ties with Southeast Asia. He said Washington would defend its interests and those of its allies and partners through practical cooperation, including stronger maritime domain awareness and greater naval interoperability.

Hegseth described the US approach as strong, quiet and clear, strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, quiet enough to avoid needless escalation, and clear enough for friends and adversaries to understand Washington’s position. He also proposed a US-ASEAN framework for defense cooperation.

China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun did not attend ADMM-Plus. Beijing was instead represented by its defense attache assigned to the Chinese embassy in Manila. All 11 Southeast Asian defense chiefs and counterparts from nearly all plus countries participated.

The forum takes place as Southeast Asia grapples with the effects of the Iran war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28 and has disrupted global shipping and oil markets. Tension between the Philippines and Beijing has added another source of friction to the gathering.