Pentagon chief appeals to allies in Asia. “Justified alarm over China's historic military development”
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged America's Asian allies to increase military spending to counter China's rising power and prevent Beijing from dominating the region, Reuters reported.
In a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia's best-known forum for defense leaders, military and diplomats, Hegseth called for a stronger and more autonomous network of allies, saying it was essential to deter aggression and preserve the balance of power.
“There is justifiable alarm about China's historic military development and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” the Pentagon chief said.
“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would upset the regional balance of power,” Hegseth added. “No state, not even China, can impose its hegemony and question the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies,” he stressed.
“Less Shangri-La, More Ships, More Submarines”
Pete Hegseth noted that the US expects its Asian allies and partners to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP as they have pledged a $1.5 trillion investment in the military.
“Less Shangri-La, more ships, more submarines,” Hegseth said, stressing that the region needs greater defense capability rather than conferences.
On the other hand, he said the allies want stability, not escalation, and noted that US-China relations are “better than they have been in many years.”
“We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts, keeping the lines of communication open between the military,” the Pentagon chief said.
Hegseth reiterated the US administration's position that US allies should shoulder a greater proportion of their own defense costs, a point that President Donald Trump had also made with European allies.
“The era of the United States subsidizing the defense of wealthy nations is over,” Hegseth said. “We need partners, not protectorates,” he added. “We don't have a strong alliance unless everyone puts their skin on the line,” the Pentagon chief also said.
