U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday lashed out at China for its military activities in the South China Sea, calling for collective efforts to counter them, such as crafting a shared maritime domain awareness platform.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense has told his Chinese counterpart that Washington will "stoutly defend" its interests in the Indo-Pacific

In a post on X, he said he met with the Chinese National Defense Minister Adm. Dong Jun. “It was a good and constructive meeting,” Hegseth said. “I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.

U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth told his Chinese counterpart the U.S. will “stoutly defend" its Indo-Pacific interests during talks in Malaysia.