US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to increase military spending and strengthen regional security cooperation, warning that China’s expanding military power poses a growing challenge to stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s leading security forum for defence officials, military leaders and diplomats, Hegseth said countries across the region should be concerned about Beijing’s military expansion.
“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” he said.
Hegseth argued that a stronger and more self-reliant network of allies was necessary to deter aggression and maintain the regional balance of power.
“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power,” Hegseth said. “No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”
The Pentagon chief said Washington expects its Asian allies and partners to raise defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product, while the United States plans to invest $1.5 trillion in its own military capabilities.
“Less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs,” Hegseth said.
He added that US allies were seeking stability rather than confrontation.
“What they want, and what the United States delivers, is strength that is disciplined, resolve that is steady, and leadership that is confident enough to speak and walk softly while carrying a big stick.”
Despite his warning over China’s military growth, Hegseth adopted a more measured tone on relations between Washington and Beijing, saying ties were improving and that military-to-military contacts had increased.
“We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication.”
Responding to Hegseth’s remarks, Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University and a retired senior colonel in China’s People’s Liberation Army, described US-China relations as “complicated.”
However, Zhou said Hegseth’s comments reflected a more constructive approach than in previous years.
“Both sides have open channels of communication, the situation is not as exaggerated as the outside world makes it out to be,” Zhou said.
He added that Hegseth had struck “a much better tone” than last year, attributing the shift to President Donald Trump’s visit to China.
China’s defence minister did not attend the Shangri-La Dialogue for a second consecutive year. Beijing had previously accused Hegseth of making “vilifying” remarks during last year’s gathering.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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