Hegseth heads to Manila to shore up US ties with Asia-Pacific partners

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will attend the ADMM-Plus meeting in Manila this week alongside counterparts from India, South Korea and Japan. Scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, the gathering brings together defence officials from ASEAN’s 11 members and eight dialogue partners, including Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China. Regional security issues are expected to include Myanmar’s civil war and maritime disputes with China. Analyst William Yang said the South China Sea dispute will be central, with the Philippines expected to press for a code of conduct with Beijing.