United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday proposed developing a framework for defense cooperation between America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ahead of. CEBU: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed the creation of an "ambitious" new US-ASEAN defence framework on Wednesday, telling the bloc's leaders it. Speaking at the two-day Asean Defence Ministers' Meeting and related gatherings in the Philippines, Hegseth called for closer coordination between regional.