U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Pacific allies of Washington's continued commitment while downplaying previous threat rhetoric against China at the Shangri-La Dialogue. He emphasized a goal of a favorable balance of power in the Pacific and warned of China's military buildup and Taiwan pressure, but his tone followed President Trump's recent conciliatory visit to Beijing. Senator Duckworth criticized the administration for cozying up to China and questioned its Taiwan stance. Hegseth also pushed allies to increase defense spending, praising Asian partners while critiquing Europe's focus on 'globalist rhetoric.'
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Pacific allies on Saturday that Washington remained committed to the region, but toned down previous comments calling China a threat.
Speaking to a group of world leaders, diplomats and top security officials at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, Hegseth said that the region "has profound implications for U.S. security and prosperity" and that Washington's priority was to "achieve a lasting and favorable balance of power in the Pacific.
" He warned of rapidly developing threats from China, particularly its aggressive stance toward Taiwan. He said China is no longer just a regional power but a global challenger, and that the United States must therefore maintain a strong military presence to deter any potential aggression.
However, his remarks came only two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump visited Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, following which Trump called Xi a "friend" and underscored the need for constructive ties. Hegseth, who was with Trump in Beijing, said the two leaders had agreed that China and the U.S. should "build a constructive relationship of strategic stability, based on fairness and reciprocity, reaffirming that while our nations will vigorously protect our respective interests, we can secure practical, mutually beneficial agreements where our interests align.
" Yet, he emphasized that it remained an American priority to ensure that China is not allowed to dominate the Indo-Pacific. "There is rightful alarm regarding China's historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond," he stated. "We share a clear-eyed assessment of that security environment and a mutual understanding that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium we all seek to preserve.
" The speech reflected a nuanced shift from earlier rhetoric labeling China a "threat," instead framing the relationship as one requiring strategic stability and reciprocity, while still underscoring concerns about Beijing's growing military capabilities and its pressure on Taiwan. U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, part of a congressional delegation to the conference, accused the Trump administration of "cozying up" to China.
"I worry that this administration is being distracted into wars that they've started in other parts of the world at the expense of our commitment here in the Indo-Pacific," the Illinois Democrat told reporters on the sidelines. "I am concerned that it seems like our president is entering into, you know, policies where he's doing what Beijing wants him to do," she added.
She also criticized Trump's reluctance to defend Taiwan, referring to a new $14 billion arms package that he has yet to approve as "a very good negotiating chip for us" with China. China claims the democratic self-governing island as its own, and Xi has not ruled out using force to take it.
The U.S. is required by law to help provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, though follows a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene militarily if China were to attack the island. Hegseth told the forum that there was "no change in our status" toward Taiwan, but would not comment on the arms deal. He underscored the Trump administration's insistence that allies increase defense spending, saying "we need partners, not protectorates.
" He praised several countries in Asia for meeting or exceeding defense spending targets, while reiterating criticism of European allies, without naming names, who he suggested got "distracted by empty globalist rhetoric about the rules-based international order. " "Our partners in Asia have long understood that the bedrock of a durable partnership is not based on idealistic values but on the concrete alignment of national interests," he said.
"When our interests diverge, we adjust pragmatically, without the drama or the moralizing," he added. "I think Western Europe might take note - this is a mindset we fully embrace. " Hegseth did not mention either the war in Ukraine or the conflict with Iran in his speech. When asked about Iran, he only said that Trump had assured him that when negotiations with Tehran had concluded, "any deal will be a good deal.
" The speech and surrounding commentary highlighted the delicate balancing act the Trump administration is attempting in the Indo-Pacific: reassuring allies of continued U.S. commitment while pursuing a more transactional relationship with China, all amid bipartisan concerns in Washington about the long-term strategic implications of Trump's personal diplomacy with Xi Jinping
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Shangri-La Dialogue Singapore Indo-Pacific China Taiwan Military Balance Allies Defense Spending Trump Administration U.S.-China Relations Strategic Ambiguity
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