The United States (US) Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing and other Southeast Asian Defence Ministers as well as their representatives at an informal Southeast Asia-US Defence Ministers' meeting held on the sidelines of the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) today.

During the meeting, Secretary Hegseth spoke about common security challenges and reaffirmed the US' strong commitment to the region. He said that the US believed in practical cooperation and strong partnerships underpinned by shared values. The US would continue its engagement with the Southeast Asia region and enhance defence cooperation with ASEAN countries, including through the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). Secretary Hegseth raised cybersecurity as a key emerging domain for ASEAN-US cooperation, such as through the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence (ACICE).

Mr Chan welcomed the US' commitment to engage ASEAN, underpinned by shared principles like adherence to international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes. He also reiterated the importance of frank and open conversation with the US, leveraging our open and inclusive ASEAN-centric regional security architecture to promote regional peace and stability. Mr Chan looked forward to strengthening existing cooperation with the US, as well as in emerging domains like cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI) security.