MANILA, October 27: Defence ministers from Southeast Asia and eight partner countries, including the United States, China, Japan and India, are due in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on October 28–29 for the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 13th ADMM-Plus. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. hosts the talks as this year’s ASEAN defence chair. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is due to attend, the US Department of War has announced. The Philippine defence department said on Tuesday that China had been invited but had not yet confirmed who would come.
Key highlights
- The 20th ADMM and 13th ADMM-Plus run on October 28–29 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”.
- Hegseth will visit the Philippines and take part in the ADMM-Plus, according to a US Department of War advisory.
- China was invited, but as of Tuesday “we have no confirmation of their attendees”, Philippine defence spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said.
- ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn will lead the ASEAN Secretariat’s delegation and hold bilateral meetings with ministers.
- The Philippines will hand the ADMM chair to Singapore at the close of the meetings on Thursday.
- The meetings fall in the 50th anniversary year of the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
Who is in the room
The ADMM brings together ASEAN’s 11 member states, including Timor-Leste, which joined the bloc in 2025. The ADMM-Plus adds eight dialogue partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
| Partner | What is known before Cebu |
|---|---|
| United States | Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to attend (US Department of War advisory) |
| China | Invited; attendance not confirmed as of October 27 (Philippine defence department). Media reports say Defence Minister Dong Jun is unlikely to attend because of the Communist Party’s Fifth Plenum in Beijing |
| Japan | Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is reported to travel to the Philippines from October 28 |
| India | ADMM-Plus member since 2010; co-chairs the Experts’ Working Group on counter-terrorism with Malaysia for 2024–2027 |
| Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia | ADMM-Plus members since 2010; delegations not yet announced publicly |
What is on the agenda
Andolong said the South China Sea — which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea in its own waters — was expected to come up, as maritime issues almost always do at ADMM meetings. Other areas of cooperation include maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, military medicine, humanitarian mine action and cybersecurity. The Philippine chairmanship has organised its year around three priorities: peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors and people empowerment.
The Philippine defence department said proposed outcome documents include joint statements, which still have to be finalised and agreed by consensus. On US–Philippine ties, Andolong said Manila’s priorities include strengthening the alliance, defence modernisation and capacity-building. He said Teodoro would give more details in his turnover address on Thursday.
Why this meeting matters
The talks follow weeks of activity at sea: Japan, the United States and the Philippines held a joint exercise in the South China Sea this month, and Koizumi is reported to be stressing Chinese government-vessel activity near the Senkaku Islands and stability in the Taiwan Strait. If Beijing sends a lower-level delegation while its leadership meets at the Fifth Plenum, it will limit chances for direct China–US or China–Japan defence contact in Cebu.
Last year in Kuala Lumpur, Hegseth hosted his Japanese, Australian and Philippine counterparts on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus, the four-way format that has become a regular feature of these meetings.
India’s stake
At the 12th ADMM-Plus in Kuala Lumpur on November 1, 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India’s emphasis on the rule of law, including UNCLOS, and on freedom of navigation and overflight “is not against any country” but aims to protect all regional stakeholders. He called the ADMM-Plus central to India’s Act East Policy. India has co-chaired four of the forum’s expert working groups.
| Experts’ Working Group | Co-chair with India | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Humanitarian mine action | Vietnam | 2014–2017 |
| Military medicine | Myanmar | 2017–2020 |
| Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief | Indonesia | 2020–2024 |
| Counter-terrorism | Malaysia | 2024–2027 |
Our calculation
- Membership: the ADMM-Plus now has 19 members — 11 ASEAN states plus eight partners — up from 18 before Timor-Leste joined ASEAN.
- Frequency: Cebu hosts the 13th ADMM-Plus since the forum began in 2010. The forum met every two to three years from 2010 to 2017 and every year since.
- India’s role: by 2027, India will have co-chaired an expert working group for 13 consecutive years.
What it means
For the Philippines, Cebu is the defence centrepiece of its ASEAN chair year and a chance to put the South China Sea at the top of the regional agenda. For Washington, Hegseth’s attendance keeps US defence engagement with Southeast Asia visible at a time of intense US–China competition in the region. For India, the meeting is a regular platform to press for freedom of navigation without taking sides, and to advance its counter-terrorism working-group programme with Malaysia.
What to watch
- Whether ministers adopt joint statements by consensus, and what they say on maritime security.
- Who represents China, and whether any China–US or China–Japan defence meeting takes place.
- Hegseth’s bilateral meeting with Teodoro and any multilateral meeting with Japan and Australia.
- Teodoro’s turnover address and Singapore’s plans as the 2027 chair.
File photo: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosts Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in Kuala Lumpur on November 1, 2025, during the 12th ADMM-Plus; not a photograph from Cebu. Image: U.S. Department of War, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source
Sources
- ASEAN Secretariat: Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the 20th ADMM, 13th ADMM-Plus and related meetings in Cebu
- US Department of War: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to visit the Philippines and participate in the ADMM-Plus
- Press Information Bureau: Raksha Mantri at the 12th ADMM-Plus (November 1, 2025)
- Japan Ministry of Defense: Minister Koizumi’s participation in the 12th ADMM-Plus (summary)
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
