US Defense Secretary Hegseth meets PM Wong, reaffirms strong ties
SINGAPORE: The United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (May 30), ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top defence forum.
The two reaffirmed the "excellent and longstanding bilateral defence relation" between the two countries, according to a Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) news release.
The two leaders also "exchanged views on geopolitical developments and regional security issues, and reiterated their shared commitment to regional peace, stability and prosperity".
Mr Hegseth also affirmed continued support for the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) training in US, while Mr Wong emphasised Singapore's longstanding support for the US' regional presence, said MINDEF.
Mr Hegseth is the first Cabinet official from the current US administration to meet Mr Wong.
He will speak at a plenary session titled 'United States' New Ambitions for Indo-Pacific Security' at the event on Saturday.
He is expected to outline his vision for the Indo-Pacific region while underscoring how vital the region is to US interests, according to the US Defense Department prior to Mr Hegseth's departure for Singapore.
"As part of that vision, the secretary will discuss the threat that China poses to the region and how the United States is prepared to deal with that threat.
"In line with that, Hegseth is expected to use his remarks to highlight the ways the US is reestablishing deterrence in the region," the defence department said.
Earlier in the day, Mr Hegseth met his Singapore counterpart, Mr Chan Chun Sing.
During the breakfast meeting, they "reaffirmed the excellent and longstanding bilateral defence relationship and the mutually beneficial partnership between Singapore and the US, as anchored by the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore," said MINDEF.
The 1990 MOU was last renewed in 2019 between then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and US President Donald Trump.
Both men agreed on the importance of the US' continued engagement in the Asia-Pacific, which is "vital for regional peace, stability and prosperity".
Mr Hegseth also expressed appreciation for Singapore's consistent support for the US' military presence in and engagement of the region.
"This includes Singapore's facilitation of rotations by US aircraft and vessels, including rotational deployments, port calls, and aircraft stopovers," MINDEF said.
Mr Chan expressed appreciation for the US' longstanding support for the SAF training in the US, as well as for the SAF's technology access, including the Republic of Singapore Air Force's acquisition and operationalisation of the F-35 aircraft, MINDEF said.
MINDEF said the US Defense Secretary expressed the country's commitment to support the "SAF's high-end training and technology access".
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