Secretary of War Travel to Malaysia and Vietnam
On October 31, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Malaysia to participate in the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-PLUS (ADMM-PLUS) forum, where he stressed the defense of interests and emphasized concerns about activities towards allies and partners in the region. Secretary Hegseth also met with the defense ministers of Cambodia, Indonesia, India, and Thailand, and with the Secretary of Defense for the Philippines, during which a new “Task Force Philippines” was announced to deter coercion in the South China Sea.
On November 2, in Hanoi, the Secretary met separately with Vietnam’s General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, and Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang. While discussions focused on deepening defense cooperation, defense trade, and information sharing, the Secretary reaffirmed that war legacy issues remain a top priority of the United States, announcing a new memorandum of understanding and exchanging Vietnam War artifacts during the visit.