Hegseth to ASEAN: Deliver peace through strength

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures during a joint press conference with Philippines' Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro after their meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Manila on March 28, 2025.

AFP / Ted Aljibe

MANILA, Philippines —  United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke before his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cebu City yesterday, where he reaffirmed the Trump administration’s vision for a prosperous and stable Pacific “based on strength, built not on wishful thinking but on the backs of strong, self-reliant nations.”

“The approach we’re taking we describe as strong, quiet and clear. Strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics and to let our actions speak for themselves, but are clear enough that our friends, our partners and potential adversaries understand precisely where the United States stands and that we will defend our interests and the interests of our allies and partners,” Hegseth said at opening of the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting and 13th ADMM Plus.

“That is by definition peace through strength and we’re ready and willing to work with all of you where you are based on your own circumstances and your own priorities and shared mutual interests thereafter,” he said.

Hegseth noted that while the US and ASEAN member-states are “not going to agree on everything, nor do we need to,” speaking as one on fundamentals “is enough to support practical cooperation where our shared interests are overlapping and are clear, and that’s the type of cooperation the Department of War will continue to pursue with our ASEAN partners.”

He stressed that strengthening maritime domain awareness, improving interoperability and advancing cooperation among US and ASEAN navies are not symbolic things, but “are concrete demonstrations of what serious partners do.”

“Serious partners train together, learn together, plan together and build the confidence and competence necessary to prevent conflict,” he said.

“The United States is a proud Pacific nation, and alongside our ASEAN partners, we are resolved to deliver peace through strength. Peace, prosperity and sovereignty for all member-nations based on mutual respect and strength,” he maintained. 

In his remarks, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said ASEAN values the United States’ “sustained engagement” with the region’s defense establishments, pointing out that “a robust US presence is necessary for peace and stability in Southeast Asia and in the broader Indo-Pacific region.”

He said the Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN gathering coincided with the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippines’ diplomatic ties with the US.

In May, Teodoro and Hegseth met on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to reaffirm their ironclad commitment to the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty and shared determination to ensure a stable peace in the Indo-Pacific.

Meanwhile, Hegseth’s visit was denounced by militant groups, particularly the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), which called him a war criminal undeserving of special treatment in the Philippines.

Bayan secretary general Raymond Palatino said Hegseth should be tried for violating international humanitarian rules in the US war on Iran.