Hegseth urges Asian allies to spend more, warns on China
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Pete Hegseth pushed Asian partners to boost defense spending as he warned about China’s military rise.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to press Asian allies and partners to raise military spending and take on more of the region’s security burden, while warning about China’s expanding military power. Hegseth said Washington wants a durable balance in the Indo-Pacific and praised countries including the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for stronger defense efforts. He also said Vietnam and India should improve readiness. The speech came after President Donald Trump’s recent summit in Beijing with Xi Jinping and amid questions about U.S. priorities in Asia. In a keynote a day earlier, Vietnam’s To Lam said major-power competition must be constrained by international law and restraint.