Hegseth urges Asian leaders to boost military spending against China

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Asian allies to increase military spending in response to what he described as China’s “historic military buildup”, while delivering a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. Speaking before defence officials, diplomats and military leaders, Hegseth acknowledged improved US-China relations following President Donald Trump’s recent summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but warned of “rightful alarm” over Beijing’s expanding military activities across the region and beyond. He cautioned that a Pacific dominated by any single hegemon would destabilise the regional balance of power, undermining the stability countries in Asia have long sought to preserve.

Hegseth’s remarks at the annual defence summit came amid growing concerns over China’s assertiveness, including its military harassment of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory. While last year’s speech included a sharp critique of Beijing’s actions around Taiwan, this year the defence secretary offered a more measured response when pressed by the audience. He downplayed regional concerns, asserting that the US possesses sufficient weapons stockpiles and that any future arms sales to Taipei remain solely at the discretion of President Trump—despite recent pauses in such sales due to the conflict in Iran. Analysts in attendance, such as Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, described the speech as “light on substance”, noting that regional stakeholders sought clearer signals on both Taiwan and the Middle East.

On the Middle East, Hegseth reiterated the Trump administration’s position that the US would not accept a nuclear deal with Iran unless it effectively prevented Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He warned that Washington remains prepared to resume targeted strikes against Iranian targets if negotiations fail, following a series of limited US strikes last week. While Hegseth framed US-China relations as improving, he underscored that strategic competition between the two powers persists. The remarks underscore the delicate balancing act facing smaller Southeast Asian nations, which find themselves increasingly caught between the geopolitical ambitions of Washington and Beijing.

Earlier on Friday, Vietnam’s President To Lam had cautioned in a keynote address that unchecked great-power competition risked creating a world where “might makes right,” highlighting the dilemma facing mid-sized states in the region. Hegseth’s speech, though framed in diplomatic language, reinforced the broader message that Asian allies must invest more in their own defence capabilities to counterbalance China’s growing influence, even as the US asserts it remains a committed regional partner.