US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on Asian allies to increase defence spending and deepen security cooperation, warning that China’s rapidly expanding military capabilities pose a growing challenge to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a major security summit attended by defence officials, military leaders, and diplomats, Hegseth said Beijing’s military buildup and increasing regional activities were raising concerns among neighbouring countries.
He stressed that a stronger network of capable allies was essential to preserving the regional balance of power and deterring potential aggression. According to Hegseth, no single nation should be allowed to dominate the Indo-Pacific or threaten the security and prosperity of other countries in the region.
The Pentagon chief revealed that Washington expects its regional partners to raise defence spending to about 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product, while the United States plans to invest approximately $1.5 trillion in strengthening its own military capabilities.
Emphasising the need for practical military readiness, Hegseth urged allies to focus more on expanding naval and defence assets rather than relying solely on diplomatic discussions.
Despite his concerns over China’s military growth, Hegseth noted that relations between Washington and Beijing had shown signs of improvement. He highlighted increased communication between the two militaries, saying both sides were maintaining open channels to reduce tensions and avoid misunderstandings.
Reacting to the remarks, Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University and former senior colonel in China’s People’s Liberation Army, described US-China relations as complex but stable. He suggested that Hegseth’s comments reflected a more constructive tone compared to previous years and pointed to ongoing dialogue between the two powers as evidence of improving engagement.
China’s defence minister did not attend the forum for the second year in a row, following Beijing’s criticism of what it described as hostile comments made by US officials at earlier editions of the conference.
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