US-ASEAN Defence Framework: Hegseth Proposes New Cooperation Plan at ADMM-Plus in Cebu
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday proposed that the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) develop a new US-ASEAN Framework for Defence Cooperation, describing the coming years as “critically important” for the region. He made the proposal in remarks to the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, which the US Department of War shared on its official X account on 28 October 2026.
- Proposal: a US-ASEAN Framework for Defence Cooperation to guide cooperation “over the next several years”
- Venue: ADMM-Plus in Cebu, Philippines, 28 October 2026
- Timing: Washington is ready to begin work when Singapore takes over the ADMM-Plus chair next year
- Priorities named: maritime domain awareness and closer cooperation between naval forces
- No further details of the framework were released
What Hegseth proposed
Addressing his ASEAN counterparts, Hegseth called for “a practical framework that guides our cooperation over the next several years”, according to an AFP report of the speech. He did not set out the content or structure of the proposed framework.
He said the United States was prepared to launch the effort once Singapore assumes the chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus in the coming year, after the Philippines’ turn as host in 2026.
Maritime focus and a pragmatic tone
Hegseth urged stronger maritime domain awareness and deeper cooperation among regional navies, themes that track closely with tensions in the South China Sea. Manila said earlier in October that the presence of Chinese military and coast guard vessels in contested parts of the waterway had nearly doubled in September.
The secretary also struck a pragmatic note, praising what he called the region’s pragmatism and “proud nationalism”. “We’re not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to,” he said, arguing that joint training and planning build the confidence needed to prevent conflict.
A busy week of bilateral talks in Cebu
The proposal capped a series of meetings on the sidelines of the gathering. Hegseth held talks with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on “denial defence” along the First Island Chain and on munitions production, met Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to mark one year of the US-India defence framework, and met South Korea’s defence minister and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
The ADMM-Plus brings together the ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan, India and Australia.
Why it matters
A formal US-ASEAN defence framework would give Washington a multilateral track alongside its network of bilateral alliances in Southeast Asia. How far ASEAN members, several of which balance ties with both Washington and Beijing, are willing to commit will likely become clearer once work begins under Singapore’s chairmanship.
Featured image: U.S. Marine Corps photo by 2nd Lt. Erin Scudder / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
