ADMM, ADMM-Plus Wraps Up, Philippines To Host In 2026

THE 19th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and 12th ADMM-Plus in Kuala Lumpur wrapped up after two full days of meetings amongst ASEAN member states together with ADMM-Plus nations. ASEAN defence ministers included Malaysia’s Khaled Nordin, Brunei Darussalam’s Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (R) Haji Awang Halbi Haji Md Yussof, Cambodia’s Gen Tea Seiha, Indonesia’s Gen (R) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Laos’ Lieutenant General Khamlieng Outhakaisone, the Philippines’ Gilberto Teodoro Jr. , Singapore’s Chan Chun Sing, Thailand’s Gen Natthaphon Narkphanit, Timor-Leste’s Rear Admiral Donaciano Da Costa Gomes, Vietnam’s Gen Phan Van Giang while Myanmar was represented by Charge D’Affaires Aung Kyaw Moe with ASEAN secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn also present.

Meanwhile ADMM-Plus on the second day gathered China’s Minister of National Defence Adm Dong Jun, the United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles, Russia’s deputy defence minister Oleg Saveliev, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh, South Korea’s Minister of National Defence Ahn Gyu-back, Japan’s Shinjiro Koizumi, and New Zealand’s Judith Collins. Gen Narkphanit, Koizumi and Ahn were all recently appointed to their positions.

This edition follows soon after the 47th ASEAN Summit last week which saw Timor-Leste formally enter the now-11 nation fraternity of Southeast Asian nations as a full fledged member, with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Malaysia and Timor-Leste on defence cooperation being signed. Malaysia’s Khaled said that ASEAN is committed to facilitating the gradual integration of Timor-Leste into ASEAN defence activities.

“Whatever military exercise or maritime exercise, depending on its readiness, it can contribute together. But for its improvement, it is important to take those opportunities to contribute not only to understand the context of cooperation in ASEAN, but to create networking. This means that Timor-Leste will be together with other ASEAN countries in promoting security in this region. There is now another country that will ensure that this region remains safe and secure,” he added.

With a theme of “Asean Unity for Security and Prosperity”, a record 20 new initiatives were endorsed while around 50 bilateral meetings between over 600 delegates were held throughout the meeting. One of the most significant meetings was one between Hegseth and Adm Dong on Oct 31, the pair’s first physical meeting since a September teleconference call and just hours after President Donald Trump and Chairman Xi Jin Ping met in South Korea. Hegseth described the meeting as “good and constructive”, highlighting the importance of “maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and emphasised US concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so.”

A China Ministry of National Defence (MND) statement read, “He noted that the defence departments of both countries should take concrete actions to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, and work toward building a military-to-military relationship based on equality and respect, peaceful coexistence, and stable, positive development.””He also expressed hope that the U.S. side will honour its commitment not to seek to contain China and pursue conflict, take a clear stance against “Taiwan independence,” and work with China to inject positive energy into regional and global peace and security.”

Hours before departing Malaysia for Vietnam, Hegseth wrote on social media, “I just spoke to President Trump, and we agree — the relationship between the United States and China has never been better. Following President Trump’s historic meeting with Chairman Xi in South Korea, I had an equally positive meeting with my counterpart, China’s Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun in Malaysia. And we spoke again last night. The Admiral and I agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries. As President Trump said, his historic “G2 meeting” set the tone for everlasting peace and success for the U.S. and China. The Department of War will do the same — peace through strength, mutual respect, and positive relations. Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise. We have more meetings on that coming soon. God bless both China and the USA!”

On US plans to resume nuclear testing, Hegseth said “conducting tests on this capability is considered a reasonable and prudent step” while Malaysia stressed that ASEAN should be free of nuclear weapons, saying “This region should remain free from nuclear weapons. It has been firmly established, and any country wishing to engage with ASEAN must respect this aspiration”. Furthermore, Hegseth and Khaled held an informal meeting with Gen Narkphanit and Gen Tea on the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords. “A historic step towards lasting peace and stability along the Cambodia-Thailand border, facilitated by Malaysia”, said Khaled. Malaysia remains committed to supporting this peace process through continued dialogue, trust, and regional cooperation under the spirit of “ASEAN Unity for Security and Prosperity.”

As the year comes to a close, Malaysia formally handed over chairship of ADMM and ADMM-Plus to the Philippines which has stressed the need for “internal cohesion and solidarity” amid heightened regional and global uncertainties.”Our leadership in the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus comes amid heightened uncertainties about the future of our region and our world. To stay rooted in an increasingly unstable security environment, our internal cohesion and solidarity are all the more important”, Teodoro Jr. said.

Teodoro congratulated Khaled for his strong leadership and his ministry’s effective chairship, and commended Malaysia for steering ASEAN’s defence cooperation with vision and inclusivity. Reaffirming the Philippines’ commitment to working with other ASEAN states and dialogue partners “towards our shared aspiration for a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific Region.”

“As we pass the torch to our dear friend, the Philippines, Malaysia gives its full and unwavering support. We have every confidence that the Philippines will continue to lead with the same spirit of dedication, integrity, and unity,” Khaled added.

The Philippines’ 2026 chairship seeks to further boost defence diplomacy and cooperation in key areas such as maritime security, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Under its leadership, the Philippines also aims to advance practical cooperation to foster mutual trust, promote capacity-building initiatives, and strengthen mechanisms that ensure peace, stability and regional resilience. Next September, Manila is expected to host the Asian Defense & Security (ADAS) 2026 in Metro Manila’s World Trade Center from Sept 2-4.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:ADJ, MINDEF, DOW)