Pentagon chief urges Asian allies to invest in defense to deter China
KYODO NEWS - 12 minutes ago - 17:46 | World, All
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday pledged his country's commitment to deter what he calls Chinese aggression during a key Asia security conference in Singapore, urging allies and partners in the region to invest more in defense to counter the threat.
Delivering a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue for the first time as Pentagon chief, Hegseth outlined the threat posed by China, including toward Taiwan, saying that "Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific."
"To be clear, any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. There's no reason to sugarcoat it," he said.
Noting that NATO members are pledging to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense, Hegseth said, "It doesn't make sense for countries in Europe to do that while key allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of an even more formidable threat."
"U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, quickly upgrade their own defenses," he said.
While the return of President Donald Trump to the White House has raised concerns over his go-it-alone approach to foreign affairs and transactional manner, Hegseth reassured that "America First" does not mean "America alone" and that the United States intends to focus more on the Indo-Pacific, calling it "our priority theater."
Hegseth also warned of the risks of dual alignment with China and the United States, possibly with Southeast Asian nations in mind.
"We know that many countries are tempted by the idea of seeking both economic cooperation with China and defense cooperation with the United States."
"But beware the leverage that the CCP seeks with that entanglement," he said, using the acronym of the Chinese Communist Party. "Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension."
Delegates from 47 countries are attending the three-day security event through Sunday, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, according to the Singapore government.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a keynote speech on Friday, becoming the first European leader to do so for the Shangri-La Dialogue that was established in 2002 as Asia's premier defense and security conference.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani has also been among the participants. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, meanwhile, has skipped the event, with Beijing instead sending a delegation from the military's National Defense University.
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