Defence secretary Pete Hegseth oversaw the signing of the memorandum of understanding with his counterpart, Khaled Nordin, yesterday during a visit to Malaysia for a regional defence summit.

The pact is the latest in a series of deals between the two nations.

They also announced a trade agreement during president Donald Trump’s visit this week and plan to boost cooperation on critical minerals.

Details of the pact were not disclosed, but the nations renewed an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement and committed to finalising bilateral deals on communications, information sharing and geospatial matters, according to a joint statement.

The defence pact comes amid simmering tensions in the South China Sea, where China is pressing its claim over nearly all of the disputed waters vital to international trade.

Chinese ships frequently clash with Philippine vessels near disputed shoals and have been known to shadow Malaysian offshore oil and gas projects where China also claims jurisdiction.

“Grey-zone tactics, such as hydrographic research conducted under the protection of foreign coast guard vessels, threaten sovereignty and are a clear provocation and threat,” Khaled said in the statement.