ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Charts Way Forward at the 15th Anniversary of its Founding

Minister for Defence Mr Chan at the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus.

Mr Chan (right) met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (left) on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus.

Mr Chan (left) met Japan Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (right) on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus.

The ASEAN-Japan Defence Ministers' Informal Meeting held on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus.

Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing attended the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. 

During the meeting, which marked the 15th anniversary of the ADMM-Plus, the Ministers exchanged views on charting the future direction of the ADMM-Plus. In Mr Chan’s remarks, he emphasised the need to “uphold international norms and develop new ones that are fit for purpose for the new environment, especially in emerging domains such as cybersecurity and the protection of our network infrastructure”. He urged countries to “avoid a zero-sum mentality, where when one wins, the other must lose”, stressing that “victory for us is not the defeat of others, but it is when we can win together”. He added that Singapore is “ready to partner all ADMM-Plus countries to manage existing challenges, create new capacities, and build bridges over our current divides to strengthen regional stability and resilience”.

The meeting also adopted the Joint Statement by the ADMM-Plus in Commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus, which reaffirms the importance of the ADMM-Plus and its commitment to practical cooperation through the effective implementation of the Experts’ Working Groups.

Following the 12th ADMM-Plus, Mr Chan attended the ASEAN-Japan Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting, and the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers’ High Tea. Speaking in his capacity as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations from 2024 to 2027, Mr Chan underscored the shared interest of ASEAN and Japan in upholding global security rules and norms, and welcomed Japan’s proposals to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), maritime security, and non-traditional security domains. Relatedly, he announced that the Network of ASEAN Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Defence Experts will collaborate with the Japan Ground Self-Defence Forces to conduct an ASEAN-Japan Table-Top Exercise and Workshop on CBR threats in 2026.

At the ASEAN-US High Tea, Mr Chan said that Singapore values the US’ contribution to regional security and reaffirmed the importance of continued dialogue and working together to strengthen security. Mr Chan added that Singapore looked forward to partnering the US on delivering regional capacity building and developing suitable frameworks for cooperation.

Mr Chan also had bilateral engagements with his counterparts from ADMM-Plus countries, including Japan and the US, today. 

The 19th ADMM and the 12th ADMM-Plus concluded with the handing over of the ADMM and ADMM-Plus Chairmanship from Malaysia to Philippines.

More Resources

Joint statement by the ASEAN defence ministers’ meeting Plus (ADMM-PLUS)