Kuala Lumpur, Oct 30 (IANS) The defence chiefs of the United States and Malaysia on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security in the South China Sea and took steps to firm up defence cooperation, amid concerns over China’s growing assertiveness in the strategically vital waterway.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin held talks on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus, an annual regional defence forum, in Kuala Lumpur.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation, announced the renewal of an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, and committed to finalising bilateral agreements on communications, information sharing and geospatial matters, according to a joint media statement.
“We share the pursuit of an open and free South China Sea, Indo-Pacific, and this kind of partnership signals our commitment to that,” Hegseth said prior to the talks, Yonhap news agency reported.
He added: “(President Trump) is creating opportunities and focus on the ASEAN in this region for partnerships that do not exist before, which is a demonstration that American First doesn’t mean America alone. It means America with our partners, and certainly Malaysia is front and center in that.”
The Malaysian minister voiced hope for collaboration with the US on various defence areas.
“There are many areas I believe that Malaysia and the United States can work together (on) in the defence sector,” he said.
Maritime security in the South China Sea figured prominently in the bilateral meeting.
The Secretary and minister agreed that the South China Sea is a “vital” maritime corridor linking the region with the rest of the world, “where respect for sovereignty is imperative,” according to the statement.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security in the South China Sea,” it said.
“The minister noted that grey-zone tactics, such as hydrographic research conducted under the protection of foreign coast guard vessels, threaten sovereignty, and are a clear provocation and threat,” it added, alluding to China’s activities in the South China Sea.
Grey-zone tactics refer to activities that still cause tension, but fall short of triggering a full-blown armed conflict. China has conducted hydrographic research in what has been viewed as a move to reassert its territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea and secure its economic interests there.
The Secretary and the minister underscored the importance of communication to prevent military “miscalculation,” while also pursuing modernization and interoperability to ensure military readiness, according to the statement.
The two sides looked forward to meeting again at the Pentagon next year, it said.
Hegseth arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday following visits to Hawaii and Japan. His trip also includes stops in Vietnam and South Korea.
In South Korea, he plans to travel to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, attend the annual bilateral defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting, and meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. He also plans to meet US service members at Camp Humphreys, a sprawling US military base in Pyeongtaek, some 65 kilometres south of Seoul.
–IANS
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