Last Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated after meeting with the Chinese Defense Minister that a military communication channel will be established between the US and China to defuse conflicts resulting from misjudgments. This move is aimed at safeguarding regional peace and stability.
According to Fox News, Hegseth revealed on the social media platform X that after the meeting between presidents Trump and Xi Jinping, he had a “constructive meeting” with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun. Both sides agreed that the best path for the development of US-China relations is “peace, stability, and a good relationship.”
Hegseth wrote in his post, “Admiral Dong Jun and I agree that we should establish military-to-military communication channels to defuse conflicts and mitigate any issues that arise. We will soon have more meetings on this.”
The US-China Defense Ministerial meeting took place during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting which was held in Malaysia.
Earlier on the same day, Hegseth addressed the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting and urged the participating countries to jointly respond to China’s aggressive behavior in the South China Sea. He pointed out that Beijing’s territorial and maritime claims in the region violate its commitment to a peaceful resolution of disputes.
“We seek peace, we do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China does not seek to dominate you or anyone else,” Hegseth said.
In recent years, tensions in the South China Sea have continued to escalate. Claimed territories by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei overlap in the region.
China’s naval fleet has clashed multiple times with Philippine vessels in disputed waters. Chinese officials recently referred to the Philippines as a “troublemaker” due to its consecutive joint naval and aerial exercises with the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
Hegseth also criticized China for designating the disputed Scarborough Shoal, referred to as Panatag Shoal by the Philippines, as a “nature reserve.”
He called on ASEAN countries to accelerate the finalization of a code of conduct in the South China Sea with China and proposed the establishment of a “shared maritime domain awareness” network and a rapid response system to effectively address provocative behaviors.
“These measures will ensure that any member facing aggression and provocation will not stand alone,” Hegseth emphasized.
Furthermore, he welcomed the upcoming ASEAN-US maritime joint exercises scheduled for December. The exercise aims to enhance regional coordination and maintain freedom of navigation.
Hegseth’s firm stance at the ASEAN meeting is interpreted by experts as a strong US commitment to supporting allies and containing China’s expansion. While seeking to establish crisis management mechanisms with China, the US also continues to enhance military cooperation with ASEAN countries, aiming to build a multilateral balancing framework.
As one of the busiest maritime routes globally, stability in the South China Sea directly impacts the economic security of the Asia-Pacific region. The opening of the US-China military hotline is seen as an important step in reducing the risk of misjudgments. However, experts warn that fundamental relaxation of regional tensions may not be achieved until territorial sovereignty disputes are resolved.