In a bid to strengthen U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held critical discussions at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, meeting with officials from China and India. The meetings aimed at addressing concerns over China's assertive moves in the South China Sea and boosting regional security alliances.

Hegseth underscored the U.S. commitment to its interests, notably announcing a new 10-year defense cooperation framework with India, which he hailed as essential for regional stability. The discussions come amid trade tensions, after the U.S. imposed hefty tariffs on Indian goods due to its Russian oil imports.

The visit also follows former President Donald Trump's controversial call to resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing, creating confusion in Washington about th

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