US, China signal thaw in ties amid Hegseth-Dong talks in Malaysia
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US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a positive meeting with Chinese Admiral Dong Jun in Malaysia, signaling renewed openness between Washington and Beijing after months of South China Sea tensions.
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US Sec. of War Pete Hegseth and China Defense Chief Admiral Dong Jun in a meeting in Malaysia, with accompanying delegations, October 31, 2025 (Social media)
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun held a constructive meeting in Malaysia, as announced by the former, in what is viewed as a new sign of openness between Washington and Beijing after months of tension in the South China Sea.
Hegseth revealed that he spoke to the Admiral agaion on November 1, adding that both agreed that "peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries."
Moreover, Hegseth suggested that the US and China should establish "military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise,” a proposal to which Dong also agreed.
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…
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) November 1, 2025
Simultaneously, the top US official warned ASEAN defense ministersof “China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea,” according to ABC News on Saturday, adding “We must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” which highlighted stark contrasts to his previous messaging.
Outlook post Xi-Trump meeting
This comes after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a historic meeting in South Korea.
Trump said the meeting was "amazing" and asserted that bilateral ties with China have peaked, a statement echoed by his secretary of war.
"The relationship with China is very good. So I think we're going to have a very good outcome for our country and for the world, actually," Trump stated.
Trump also revealed to reporters following the meeting that he and Xi removed "roadblocks" on rare earth deals, stating, "All the rare earths have been settled, and that's for the world," further adding that the agreement was for one year and will be renegotiated annually.
"There's no roadblock at all on rare earth -- that will hopefully disappear from our vocabulary for a little while," he said.
