International Analysis

Beijing Targets Philippines' Teodoro as Hegseth Proposes US-ASEAN Defense Framework To Deter China

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The Philippines is pushing back against China’s claims that Manila undermined ASEAN norms and obstructed Beijing’s participation in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus, just weeks before it hosts major Quad and Squad meetings on the summit’s sidelines. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has proposed a new US-ASEAN defense framework that would reshape regional deterrence. It comes as Beijing is intensifying coast guard and military activity around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while carrying out similar grey-zone “law enforcement” operations near Taiwan. In this episode, we examine Beijing’s attempts to use pressure ASEAN and the Philippines, and what Manila’s growing security partnerships and a hypothetical US-ASEAN defense agreement could mean for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. *Recorded on November 3, 2026 at 11:50am Taiwan Standard Time Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat Planner: Miguel Yang Videographer: Jun Ng Our guests: Mark Montgomery - Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Ray Powell - SeaLight Foundation Executive Director Ronan Fu - Academia Sinica Institute of Political Science Assistant Research Fellow