Tammy Duckworth asked the nominee for factual details about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including its membership and the U.S.'s relationship with member countries. Hegseth responded that he was unable to name the exact members of ASEAN,

Some of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks struggled to answer basic questions during their Senate confirmation hearings this week. There was litany of obfuscation and waffling across the board,

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, born in Bangkok to a Thai mother and an American father, posed the question to Pete Hegseth.

DESPITE being Asean’s largest foreign investor, the US is expected to put the bloc on the back burner – trade-wise – as the Trump administration makes a return, dashing the group’s hope of being viewed by world superpowers as an economic heavyweight.

The regional bloc Asean and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding,

Can Anwar Ibrahim's diplomatic finesse help Malaysia steer Asean through the storm of rising trade tensions and regional crises? Malaysia takes the helm of Asean at a time of see-sawing threats and opportunities,

With the windfall of cash, and the ability to keep raking it in, Trump can help his allies, punish his foes, and help keep Republicans in power in Congress. He can position himself as kingmaker, not only for his four years in office, but long afterward if he so chooses. He can also keep businesses and industries from going against his agenda.

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, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”

During his confirmation hearing, Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee couldn’t name a single member of the Southeast Asian bloc.

Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host and military veteran who is President-elect Donald Trump ... previous claims by Mr Trump’s first administration that ASEAN is the “geographical centre ...

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territori