Overview
- At the Shangri‑La Dialogue on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington seeks a stable balance of power in the Indo‑Pacific in which no country, including China, can impose regional hegemony.
- Hegseth publicly urged partners to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and promised that nations meeting that bar would get expedited arms sales, deeper industrial co‑production and closer intelligence sharing.
- He struck a measured tone toward Beijing by saying U.S.‑China military contacts have increased while warning of 'rightful alarm' over China’s historic military buildup and expanded regional activity.
- On the sidelines he held trilateral and bilateral talks with Japan, Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand to expand practical cooperation and to push distributed deterrence beyond a sole U.S. umbrella.
- Hegseth also said the United States remains ready to resume operations against Iran if diplomacy fails and pledged a $1.5 trillion U.S. military investment to replenish stockpiles and sustain simultaneous commitments in the Middle East and Asia.