KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington and
Beijing would establish military-to-military communications channels, adding that bilateral ties between the countries have “never been better.”

Hegseth said he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, late Saturday on the sidelines of a regional security meeting and that they agreed that “peace, stability and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries.”

His remarks posted on X came hours after he urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China’s increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea.

“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Hegseth said at a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday.

“We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” he added.

The South China Sea remains one of Asia’s most volatile flashpoints. Beijing claims almost the entire region, while ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim ownership of coastal areas and features. The Philippines, a key U.S. ally, has had frequent clashes with China’s maritime fleet.

Manila has repeatedly urged a stronger regional response, but ASEAN has traditionally sought to balance caution with economic ties to Beijing, the region’s largest trading partner.

Hegseth said on X he also spoke with President Donald Trump and they agreed “the relationship between the U.S. and China has never been better.” Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea last week “set the tone for everlasting peace and success for the U.S. and China,” added Hegseth.

The contrasting messages — a sharp warning at the ASEAN meeting followed by conciliatory language online — underscored Washington’s effort to balance deterrence with diplomacy amid rising tensions with Beijing.

“This is damage control. More importantly, it reflects two different currents in U.S. relations with China — one that sees China as a threat and another a possible partner,” said Southeast Asian political analyst Bridget Welsh.

In his meeting on Saturday, Hegseth criticized Beijing’s recent declaration of the Scarborough Shoal — seized from the Philippines in 2012 — as a “nature reserve.” He told the meeting it was “yet another attempt to coerce new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at your expense.”

He urged ASEAN to hasten the conclusion of a long-delayed Code of Conduct being negotiated with China to govern behavior in the sea.