Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for protection secretary, was once not able to call a unmarried nation within the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Countries right through his affirmation listening to Tuesday—even naming Australia as an alternative.Senator Tammy Duckworth requested Hegseth to talk to the significance of the political and financial alliance, with the intention to make some degree of the way unqualified he was once to guide the Pentagon and its large personnel.“You talked concerning the Indo-Pacific a little bit bit.… Are you able to title the significance of no less than one of the vital international locations in ASEAN, and what form of settlement we’ve with no less than a kind of international locations? And what number of international locations are in ASEAN, by means of the way in which?“I couldn’t inform you the precise quantity of countries in that, however I do know we’ve allies in South Korea, and Japan, and in AUKUS with Australia, [we] paintings on submarines with them …”“Mr. Hegseth none of the ones nations are in ASEAN. None of the ones 3 nations that you simply’ve discussed are in ASEAN,” Duckworth answered. “I recommend you perform a little homework prior to you get ready for all these negotiations.”“This may look like a small, embarrassing gotcha, however ASEAN is an acronym you come across so much should you do even very elementary studying concerning the Pentagon’s option to counter China,” Yahoo’s Jordan Weissman wrote on X.ASEAN is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The USA incessantly conducts joint army workout routines with the member states.
