U.S. Defense Chief Warns of China’s Military Rise and Urges Allies to Spend More

Overview

• Pete Hegseth, speaking Saturday at the Shangri‑La Dialogue in Singapore, warned that China’s expanding military activity poses a sustained risk to regional balance and called for a stronger network of self‑reliant allies.
• Hegseth urged Asian partners to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and announced a roughly $1.5 trillion U.S. investment in the armed forces to back regional deterrence.
• He adopted a calmer tone toward Beijing, saying U.S.‑China ties are improving with more military contacts, even as China again sent a lower‑rank delegation and did not send its defense minister to the forum.
• The secretary sought to reassure allies that Washington can manage Indo‑Pacific deterrence while addressing other priorities, saying U.S. forces remain capable and that decisions on a potential $14 billion arms package for Taiwan rest with President Trump.
• Analysts and regional surveys show worry about a transactional U.S. approach, so the Pentagon is offering faster arms processes and deeper industrial and intelligence ties to ‘‘model’’ partners to secure longer‑term commitments.