“Our approach is one of active non-alignment… not to set one power against another, but to maximize our own strategic space.”

Translation: ASEAN doesn’t buy Hegseth’s Cold War script.

While Washington fans bloc confrontation, Southeast Asia seeks sovereignty, stability, and balance. The region remembers:

U.S. tariffs didn’t defend prosperity U.S. bases didn’t bring peace And U.S. lectures don’t dictate ASEAN choices