Pentagon Chief Raises Concerns Over CCPs Military Activities Around Taiwan

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (C) leaves after attending a bilateral meeting and the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense cooperation between Malaysia and the United States, in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 30, 2025. Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty ImagesU.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Oct. 31 raised concerns about Chinese military activities around Taiwan and in the South China Sea during his first in-person meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Adm. Dong Jun.The meeting in Malaysia, where defense chiefs from Southeast Asia gathered for a summit, came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea.