U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, shakes hands with Brunei's Defence Minister II Halbi Bin Mohammad Yussof during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Laos' Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, right, greets Brunei's Defense Minister II Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Laos' Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, right, greets Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Laos' Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath addresses the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, left, shakes hands with Brunei's Defence Minister II Halbi Bin Mohammad Yussof during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang listens during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Brunei's Defense Minister II Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, center, arrives to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

FILE- A police officer walks along flags of nations participating in the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the national convention center in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

ASEAN defence ministers attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Laos' Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath addresses the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai listens during the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

From left, Brunei's Defense Minister II Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha, Indonesian Vice Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto, Myanmar's director of Defense Ministry's International Affairs Department Zaw Naing Win, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Laos' Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, Philippine Defense Undersecretary Ignacio Florante Madriaga, Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, East Timor Chief of Defense Force Domigos Raul and ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a group photo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Laos' Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, right, greets Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Seiha during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

East Timor's Chief of Defense Force Domigos Raul listens during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers' meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Brunei's Defence Minister II Halbi Bin Mohammad Yussof attends the ASEAN Defence Ministers' informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)