U.S. and China conform to arrange direct army communication channels, Hegseth says

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Sunday (November 2, 2025) that Washington and Beijing would set up military-to-military communications channels, including that bilateral ties between the international locations have “by no means been higher.”

Mr. Hegseth stated he spoke along with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, late on Saturday (November 1) on the sidelines of a regional safety assembly and that they agreed that “peace, stability and good relations are one of the best path for our two nice and robust international locations.”

His remarks posted on X got here hours after he urged Southeast Asian nations to face agency and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China’s more and more “destabilising” actions within the South China Sea.

“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims within the South China Sea fly within the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Mr. Hegseth stated at a gathering along with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday (November 1).

“We search peace. We don’t search battle. But we should make sure that China will not be looking for to dominate you or anyone else,” he added.

The South China Sea stays one among Asia’s most risky flashpoints. Beijing claims nearly your complete area, whereas ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei additionally declare possession of coastal areas and options. The Philippines, a key U.S. ally, has had frequent clashes with China’s maritime fleet.

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Manila has repeatedly urged a stronger regional response, however ASEAN has historically sought to steadiness warning with financial ties to Beijing, the area’s largest buying and selling accomplice.

Mr. Hegseth stated on X he additionally spoke with President Donald Trump they usually agreed “the connection between the U.S. and China has by no means been higher.” Trump’s assembly with Chinese chief Xi Jinping in South Korea earlier this week “set the tone for eternal peace and success for the U.S. and China,” added Mr. Hegseth, who left Malaysia on Sunday (November 2) for Vietnam.

The contrasting messages — a pointy warning on the ASEAN assembly adopted by conciliatory language on-line — underscored Washington’s effort to steadiness deterrence with diplomacy amid rising tensions with Beijing.

“This is injury management. More importantly, it displays two completely different currents in U.S. relations with China — one which sees China as a menace and one other a potential accomplice,” stated Southeast Asian political analyst Bridget Welsh.

In his assembly on Saturday (November 1), Mr. Hegseth criticised Beijing’s latest declaration of the Scarborough Shoal — seized from the Philippines in 2012 — as a “nature reserve.” He advised the assembly it was “yet one more try to coerce new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at your expense.”

He urged ASEAN to hasten the conclusion of a long-delayed Code of Conduct being negotiated with China to manipulate behaviour within the sea. He additionally proposed creating shared maritime surveillance and rapid-response techniques to discourage provocation. A “shared maritime area consciousness” community, he stated, would make sure that any member going through “aggression and provocation will not be alone.”

He additionally welcomed plans for an ASEAN-U.S. maritime train in December to strengthen regional coordination and uphold freedom of navigation.

China rejects U.S. criticism of its maritime conduct, accusing Washington of interfering in regional affairs and scary tensions via its army presence. Chinese officers say their patrols and development actions are lawful and aimed toward sustaining safety in what they think about Chinese territory.

Chinese officers on Saturday (November 1) slammed the Philippines for being a “troublemaker” after Manila staged naval and air drills with the U.S., Australia and New Zealand within the South China Sea. The two-day train that ended on Friday (October 31) was the twelfth that the Philippines says it has carried out with accomplice nations since final yr to guard its rights within the disputed waters.

Tian Junli, spokesperson of China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, stated the train severely undermined regional peace and stability. “It additional proves that the Philippines is the troublemaker within the South China Sea subject and a saboteur of regional stability,” he stated.