US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (left) smiles prior to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) defense minister’s meeting in Jerudong, some 20 kilometers outside Brunei’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Thursday. AFP PHOTO
JERUDONG, Brunei: Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel warned fellow defense ministers on Thursday that a growing number of maritime incidents and tensions in disputed Asian waters increase the risk of a dangerous international confrontation.