By Danial Azhar
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -The United States will “stoutly defend its interests”, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Chinese counterpart Dong Jun during a meeting on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, flagging the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the region.
The meeting, following a September teleconference, was the latest sign of gradually improving defence communication between the two sides, amid roiling regional tension and increased military deployments across East Asia.
Hegseth told the Chinese minister of national defence that the United States was concerned about China’s activities in the disputed South China Sea and around Taiwan, he said in a post on X that described their meeting as “good and constructive”.
“We will continue discussions with the People’s Liberation Army on matters of mutual importance,” he wrote after they met on the sidelines of a gathering of ASEAN defence ministers in the Malaysian capital.
“The United States does not seek conflict,” he added. “It will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so.”
China’s defence ministry said Dong had told Hegseth the United States must exercise caution in both words and actions over Taiwan and take a clear stance against its “independence”.
The ministry quoted Dong as saying China was committed to peaceful development while resolutely safeguarding national security interests.
“It possesses the full capability to respond calmly to any infringements or provocations,” it added in a statement.
The remarks came after President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Taiwan did not figure in his meeting with President Xi Jinping in the South Korean city of Busan, while the Chinese official statement also made no mention of Taiwan.
China has been steadily boosting air, naval and coast guard deployments around democratically-governed Taiwan, which it claims as its own.
It considers Taiwan President Lai Ching-te a “separatist”. Lai rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.
Hegseth also said he raised concern about China’s actions towards Washington’s regional allies and partners, in apparent references to repeated clashes with the Philippines in the South China Sea and tension with Australia over surveillance flights.
The Pentagon has been pushing for improved communications with China over its military modernisation and regional posture, including greater transparency over its nuclear weapons build-up and more theatre-level discussions with military commanders.
The Chinese defence ministry said Dong had told Hegseth that the Trump-Xi meeting had provided “strategic guidance” to improve defence ties and “practical steps” should now be taken.
In a summary of last month’s video call, Hegseth said he told Dong the U.S. did not seek conflict with China nor was it “pursuing regime change or strangulation” of China.
Shortly before meeting Xi, Trump said he had ordered the U.S. military to resume nuclear testing should Russia and China re-start their own tests.
Trump has described China as a “distant third” behind Russia as a nuclear power but said it would be equal within five years.
(Reporting by Danial Azhar; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen and Beijing newsroom; Writing by Greg Torode and David Stanway; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Clarence Fernandez)
