US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday assured Indo-Pacific colleagues that they would be left to face China’s growing military and economic pressure. Speaking at the Shangri-La dialogue security conference in Singapore, he urged regional partners to promote their own defense spending and readiness.Hegseth said, “We are not going to sugarcane – China’s threat is real. And it can be adjacent.” He accused China of actively training for the Taiwan’s invasion and followed the blockade of the self-interacted island citing Beijing’s military exercises, which China claims as its own.Hegseth said that China has also expanded its military appearance through man -made islands in the South China Sea and has carried forward its hypersonic and space capabilities. In response, the US is increasing its own space-based “Golden Dome” missile defense.He also highlighted China’s growing ambitions in Latin America, especially his efforts to increase the impact on the Panama Canal. He urged Indo-Pacific countries to contribute more to their safety, referring to 5 percent of GDP that European colleagues were being asked to be committed to defense spending.Despite the US promised to prioritize Indo-Pacific, Hegseth was questioned about the recent redistribution of American military property in other areas.A Patriot missile Defense Battalion was recently transported from Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, and Coast Guard ships were re-resurrected to the US-Maxico border.Hegseth defended the verdict citing the need to respond to the Houthi missile attacks and illegal immigration, but emphasized that colleagues would have to share the burden. “Finally a strong, firm and competent network of the Allies and partners is our major strategic advantage,” he said.He warned the regional governments to financially trust China, demanding US military protection. “Economic dependence on China only deepens their fatal impact and complicates our defense decision location at the time of stress,” he said.China abandons only one lower level delegation at the conference this year and abandoned the traditional attendance by its Defense Minister. Hegseth acknowledged absence and said that the US would continue to connect with interested partners throughout the region.He said that the American approach would not require ideological alignment. “We are opening our weapons in countries of spectrum-traditional colleagues, non-traditional colleagues.” Hegseth’s comment comes when the Trump administration increases defense relations in the Middle East and faces challenges to balance military commitments between regions.
