Pentagon chief issues warning about China’s military buildup
"There is rightful alarm regarding China's historic military build-up and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond," he said.
A sharper warning from Washington echoed through Singapore on Saturday as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Asian allies to spend more on their militaries, arguing that only a stronger regional front can check China’s rising power and stop any slide toward dominance.
Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading gathering of defence ministers, military officials and diplomats, Mr Hegseth said the region needs a more capable and more self-reliant network of partners to deter aggression and keep the strategic balance intact.
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“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military build-up and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” he said.
“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power,” Mr Hegseth said. “No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”
Watch: US is ‘reviving warrior ethos’ within its ranks, says Hegseth
Driving home his point in blunt terms, Mr Hegseth said: “Less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs,” while insisting regional partners are 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.”
Even as he issued a stark warning on China’s military rise, Mr Hegseth adopted a more careful tone on the broader US-China relationship, saying ties are “better than they have been in many years” and pointing to increased contact between the two militaries as a way to contain friction.
“We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication.”
Zhou Bo, a senior fellow at Tsinghua University and a retired senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army who joined the Chinese delegation, described the relationship between Washington and Beijing as “complicated”.
Still, he said Mr Hegseth’s remarks were delivered in “a much better tone” than last year, linking that change to US President Donald Trump’s visit to China.
“Both sides have open channels of communication, the situation is not as exaggerated as the outside world makes it out to be,” Mr Zhou said.
China, whose defence minister is missing the dialogue for the second year in a row, accused Mr Hegseth last year of making “vilifying” remarks.
Mr Hegseth also repeated Mr Trump’s long-running message that allies must carry a larger share of the defence burden. Trump has repeatedly argued that European and NATO partners should depend less on Washington for their security.
“The era of the United States subsidising the defence of wealthy nations is over,” Mr Hegseth said. “We need partners, not protectorates,” he added. “We don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game. No freeloading.”
He singled out allies including South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand for their contributions, and said Japan was already taking tangible steps to strengthen its military capabilities.
Tokyo and Washington “must each pull our weight to strengthen the US-Japan alliance,” he said.
Turning to the Middle East conflict, Mr Hegseth said the United States is prepared to launch strikes on Iran again if diplomacy breaks down, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran continue trying to overcome major disputes that stand in the way of an agreement.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary… we are more than capable,” Mr Hegseth said. He added that Mr Trump remains “patient” and is seeking a “strong deal” to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
