U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" commitment to the Philippines on Friday, vowing to strengthen military ties and counter what he described as "Communist China's aggression in the region" during a joint press conference in Manila.
The visit marked Hegseth's first trip to Asia as defense chief and underscored the Trump administration's intent to prioritize Indo-Pacific security partnerships. Hegseth pledged that the U.S. would enhance joint training, deploy additional advanced military capabilities, and improve interoperability for "high end operations."
"Our department is prepared and ready to deter and defeat our enemies," Hegseth said. "I'm quite proud ... of what our forces in CENTCOM did on that initial series of very effective and devastating strikes and the ongoing campaign that we're undertaking."
He also reiterated the U.S. commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty, adding, "Peace through strength is a very real thing."
Hegseth's comments came amid ongoing controversy over his decision to share details of military strike plans on a commercial messaging app, Signal. The leak, first reported by The Atlantic, involved discussions about targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen and included sensitive information shared with journalists. Hegseth did not accept blame when pressed by reporters.
The backdrop of the visit was rising maritime tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, where confrontations have intensified over the past year. Chinese coast guard vessels have employed water cannons and close-range maneuvers against Philippine ships near contested areas, including Scarborough Shoal.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said, "We are facing a common threat, which now is the overreach of the Communist Party of China."
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed Hegseth's presence, stating, "By visiting the Philippines first in Asia, he sends a very strong message of the commitment of both our countries to continue to work together to maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region, within the South China Sea."
"We have always understood the principle that the greatest force for peace in this part of the world would be the United States," Marcos added.
China responded sharply to the visit. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused the U.S. of "attempting to undermine regional peace and stability" and warned that the U.S. and the Philippines should not "exaggerate the so-called threat, incite confrontation, or escalate regional tensions."
"We also advise the Philippines not to rely on the US to create chaos at sea and, even more importantly, not to attempt to provoke military confrontation," Guo said.
The visit precedes large-scale U.S.-Philippine joint military exercises scheduled for next month, which will feature live-fire drills and expanded defense coordination.
Trump administration officials have argued that years of insufficient deterrence allowed adversaries to grow bolder in regions such as the South China Sea. Hegseth, asked to differentiate Trump's naval posture from Biden's, said, "It's not my job to determine where the Seventh Fleet goes. I defer to (Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel) Paparo and his war plans, real war plans."
That command, Hegseth said, is "prepared to work with those in the region" to create "dynamics and strategic dilemmas for the Communist Chinese that help them reconsider whether or not violence or action is something they want to undertake."
