SINGAPORE – Defence leaders from the Association of Southeast asian Nations (ASEAN) stressed their countries’ self-reliant decision-making at the Shangri-La Dialogue, following calls from U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for increased military spending and cooperation among Indo-Pacific allies to counter China’s influence.

Philippine secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jnr. asserted that the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, possesses its own strategic agency and is not simply a pawn.

ASEAN’s Stand Against Oversimplification

Despite China’s growing superpower status, Teodoro argued against overemphasizing this reality during a panel discussion at the annual security conference on Sunday. He stated that exaggerating China’s influence unfairly portrays the legitimate actions of smaller states as being dictated by major powers, undermining their strategic autonomy. However, he also noted a lack of trust with Beijing.

“Doing so unfairly portrays [that] the legitimate actions taken by smaller states [are] being carried out at the behest of major powers, as if we were mere pawns with no strategic agency of our own.”

Hegseth had previously voiced concerns over Taiwan and the South China Sea, cautioning regional defence leaders about a potentially “imminent” threat from China.

Economic Considerations and Diversification

An observer noted that Hegseth’s views might not be fully embraced by ASEAN members,who are navigating economic uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariffs and seeking to diversify trade relationships beyond major powers.These nations aim to maintain balanced relationships to safeguard their economic and security interests.