The 10-nation bloc, known as ASEAN, has been useful for the United States in countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Many member nations have territorial disputes with China, which has become increasingly assertive in pressing those claims.

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,

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Friday that he would vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department of Defense.

Senate hearings are scheduled this week for several of Trump’s picks for the Cabinet. While many are rapidly gaining support for their confirmation, the remaining still have to go before the committees overseeing the agencies Trump wants them to run.

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney claims US President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks will be ‘good spokespeople’ for the Trump agenda.