US Ready To Help Southeast Asia Defend Itself Against China

The Pentagon chief revealed the details.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth criticized China for increasing "destabilizing activities" in the South Korean Sea. He pledged support to Southeast Asian countries to help them respond to China's threats.

According to Reuters.

Hegseth made the offer to ASEAN defense ministers on Saturday on his second day in Kuala Lumpur, where there were multiple meetings including talks with U.S. allies Australia, Japan and the Philippines.

He proposed a system of common maritime understanding, saying China has been disrespectful and jeopardized their territorial sovereignty.

"You are living against the backdrop of the threats we all face because of China's aggression and its actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere," he said.

Hegseth stressed that they need to develop their joint response capabilities, including the ability to monitor maritime behavior and develop tools that will allow "us to respond quickly."

"No one can innovate and scale like the United States, and we are committed to sharing these capabilities with allies and partners," the Pentagon chief added.

Hegset's remarks came a day after the militaries of Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States conducted exercises in the South China Sea, patrols that a Chinese military spokesman said had "seriously undermined peace and stability."

Reuters notes that Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea through a line on its maps that overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

China has also deployed an armada of coast guard ships hundreds of kilometers from its mainland, which have repeatedly clashed with Philippine vessels and have been blamed for disrupting energy activities of Malaysia and Vietnam.

Beijing, for its part, denies aggressive actions and says its coast guard has acted professionally to protect Chinese territory from incursions.

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