U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore to unveil the Trump administration’s Indo-Pacific defense vision, warning against any attempt by China to dominate the region and calling on U.S. allies to dramatically increase military spending. Hegseth said the era of America subsidizing the defense of wealthy nations was over, urging partners including Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and India to take greater responsibility for regional security. The Pentagon chief emphasized deterrence, military readiness and defense industrial expansion while reaffirming that the United States remains committed to maintaining a favorable balance of power across the Indo-Pacific.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, emphasized that the U.S. seeks stable, fair, and respectful relations with China. While noting improved ties under President Trump, he asserted that stability is maintained through a position of strength, military readiness, and a demand for allies to increase their own defense spending to ensure regional security.
The United States wants peaceful relations with China, but from a position of strength.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth
said Washington seeks stability, fair trade, and respectful ties with Beijing.
At the same time, he warned that China's rapid military buildup
is causing rightful alarm across the Indo-Pacific.
Under President Trump's leadership, relations between the United States
and China are better than they've been in many years.
President Trump and this administration seek a stable peace,
fair trade, and respectful relations with China.
It's not a coincidence that this has happened.
Strong, quiet, but clear is the right recipe for stability.
Just two weeks ago, President Trump and President Xi engaged in direct
discussions in Beijing that reinforced this very foundation.
Hexeth said U.S.-China relations are at their best in years,
with more military-to-military communication helping reduce the risk of miscalculation.
But he stressed that diplomacy must be backed by power,
saying the Pentagon's job is to ensure President Trump
always negotiates from a position of unquestionable strength.
The Pentagon chief also urged America's allies to spend more on defense.
He called on Indo-Pacific partners to move toward defense spending of 3.5% of GDP,
arguing that regional security cannot depend solely on U.S. military power.
We need partners, not protectorates, Hexeth said, adding, no freeloading.
We need partners, not protectorates. We seek alliances built on shared responsibility,
not dependency. This is the maturation of our alliances in a new era.
It's a vision that puts our alliances on a sustainable footing, ensuring they are fit
for the challenges of this century, not the last. In one of the speech's most memorable lines,
Hexeth declared, less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs. The message from Singapore was clear.
Washington wants stable ties with Beijing, but it intends to preserve that stability
through military strength, stronger alliances, and greater defense spending across the Indo-Pacific.
