Question on ASEAN stumped Hegseth at Senate hearing. What is it and why is it important?
abcnews.go.comIn a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one member and how many countries were in the bloc
BANGKOK — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, grilling President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary over whether he had the “breadth and depth of knowledge” needed to lead international negotiations, asked Pete Hegseth if could name one member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, describe what type of agreement the U.S. had with the countries and how many nations were in the bloc.
Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn't tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”
“None of those three countries are in ASEAN,” responded Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois. “I suggest you do a little homework.”
ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. An 11th country, East Timor, is set to join soon.
Established in 1967, its goal is to promote regional economic and security cooperation, leveraging a combined population of more than 650 million people with a GDP of more than $3 trillion.
Duckworth's question came after Hegseth had noted the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, a region where China's influence has been rapidly growing and Beijing has become increasingly assertive in pressing territorial claims.
ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei are locked in maritime disputes with China over
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