KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China’s increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea.

What You Need To Know

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urges Southeast Asian nations to strengthen their maritime forces to counter China's actions in the South China Sea

Speaking on Saturday, Hegseth highlights recent incidents like vessel ramming and water cannon use

The South China Sea is a volatile area with multiple territorial claims

Hegseth criticizes China's declaration of Scarborough Shoal as a "nature reserve," calling it coercive

Speaking at a meeting in Malaysia with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Heg

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