US reassures Asian security allies, hails 'iron-clad' alliances

Hegseth calls Tokyo, Manila vital partners, but bypasses Seoul on maiden regional tour

- Walter Sim, Mara Cepeda Wendy Teo

The United States is not going anywhere and stands shoulder to shoulder with its Indo-Pacific allies in facing down regional threats, especially from China.

That was the key message that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to convey to Japan and the Philippines on his maiden tour of the region ended on March 30 that, however, skipped South Korea.

Anxieties have been stoked by US President Donald Trump's track record of walking back on pacts on issues such as free trade and climate, raising existential questions over whether he would do the same with security treaties.

The durability and dependability of the US as a security guarantor have also been called into question as Washington badgers its allies to spend more for their own defences after decades of relying on the US security umbrella.

Japan and South Korea host US troops, while the Philippines is a longstanding treaty ally. All three countries have been disconcerted by the extraordinary White House blow-up between Mr Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, in February.

"Trump's unpredictability cuts both ways. On the one hand, it may enhance deterrence. On the other, it can also fuel the fear of abandonment," Professor Heng Yee Kuang of University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy told The Straits Times.

During his trip, Mr Hegseth emphasised that the alliances are "iron-clad" and the "cornerstone of peace and security". Manila and Tokyo, he said, are vital partners "in deterring military aggression from Communist China".

Yet, his decision to bypass South Korea, with both North Korea and China in its backyard, is seen in Seoul as a fresh blow to the bilateral alliance. The country has struggled to engage with Mr Trump's administration after President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law decree on Dec 3 led to political chaos. The defence minister position has been vacant since December.