Kuala Lumpur, Oct 31 (EFE).- United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday raised American concerns with China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun about Chinese actions near Taiwan during a meeting on the sidelines of an ASEAN defense ministers’ gathering in Kuala Lumpur.
“I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasized U.S. concerns about China’s activities around Taiwan,” Hegseth wrote on X after the meeting, adding that it was a “constructive and positive” discussion.
Hegseth said the United States “does not seek conflict, and will continue defending its interests and ensuring it has the capacity in the region to do so.”
The meeting follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s Oct. 29 summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, where Taiwan was reportedly not discussed. EFE
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