The new agreement follows a previous accord expanding Washington’s access to Malaysia’s rare earth resources.

On Thursday, Malaysian Defense Minister Khaled Nordin announced that Malaysia and the United States have signed a defense cooperation agreement during the visit of U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth to Kuala Lumpur.

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“We signed a defense cooperation agreement between Malaysia and the U.S. to further strengthen defense and security relations between both countries. Previously, there was no formal or structured framework, although we have conducted numerous joint exercises and received U.S. support,” he said.

His remarks came after meeting with Hegseth on the sidelines of the defense summit organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which runs through Sunday.

Nordin and the U.S. War Secretary discussed bilateral issues as well as broader challenges in the South China Sea, which is claimed almost in its entirety by Beijing. The Chinese stance, however, conflicts with the positions of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

The agreement cited by Nordin follows an accord signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, expanding Washington’s access to Malaysia’s rare earth resources. That deal was announced during the ASEAN summit on Oct. 26.

Hegseth is currently in the Malaysian capital to take part in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting with allied countries, which this year also includes China, South Korea, Japan, and India.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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