Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, faced intense grilling during his Senate confirmation hearing. He was unable to answer a straightforward question from Senator Tammy Duckworth regarding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighting concerns about his grasp of international affairs.
Pete Hegseth faced intense scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing for the position of defense secretary , struggling to answer a fundamental question about international diplomacy. Senator Tammy Duckworth , during the questioning, challenged Hegseth's ability to navigate global negotiations by asking him to identify a single member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and to describe the type of agreement the U.S.
holds with the bloc and its total number of member states. Hegseth was unable to provide a correct answer to Duckworth's query.The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a 10-nation alliance established in 1967, with the United States possessing a high-level 'comprehensive strategic partnership' with it. These partnerships involve key players such as top defense officials, diplomats, and world leaders, according to the Associated Press. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. East Timor is poised to become the 11th member soon.ASEAN's primary objective is to foster regional economic and security cooperation, leveraging a combined population exceeding 650 million with a GDP surpassing $3 trillion. Notably, several ASEAN members, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, are embroiled in maritime disputes with China over its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, a crucial shipping route. The United States has treaty relationships with ASEAN members Thailand and the Philippines and actively seeks to enhance ASEAN's regional influence as part of its strategy to counter China's growing power. ASEAN also convenes high-level meetings annually, with the U.S. defense secretary typically attending its defense dialogues, while the U.S. secretary of state participates in foreign minister meetings. These meetings culminate in an annual summit, graced by the presence of the sitting U.S. president. In response to Senator Duckworth's question, Pete Hegseth stated that he couldn't recall the precise number of ASEAN nations but mentioned that 'I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.' Senator Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, pointed out, 'None of those three countries are in ASEAN,' and advised, 'I suggest you do a little homework.
Pete Hegseth Senate Confirmation Defense Secretary Association Of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) International Diplomacy Tammy Duckworth
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