Hegseth Greets ASEAN Counterparts at Defense Summit as China Opts Out
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in Singapore on May 30, greeting his counterparts from Southeast Asian nations ahead of a defense summit for which China has opted not to send its defense minister this year.
Hegseth is attending the Shangri-la Dialogue, where he
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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday warned that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia -- remarks that earned a sharp rebuke from Beijing. The Pentagon chief was speaking at an annual security forum in Singapore, as the administration of US President Donald Trump spars with Beijing on trade, technology, and influence over strategic corners of the globe. China's foreign ministry blasted the speech, saying it had "lodged solemn representations with the US side" over Hegseth's comments and taking particular exception to his remarks about Taiwan. Trump has launched a trade war with China since taking office in January, sought to curb its access to key AI technologies and deepened security ties with allies such as the Philippines, which is engaged in escalating territorial disputes with Beijing. "The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent," Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue, attended by defence officials from around the world. Beijing is "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific", he said. Hegseth warned that the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal". China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan and held large-scale exercises around the self-governed democratic island that are often described as preparations for a blockade or invasion. The United States was "reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China", Hegseth said, calling on US allies and partners in Asia to swiftly upgrade their defences in the face of mounting threats. In Beijing, the foreign ministry said: "The US should not try to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to contain China and must not play with fire." - 'Stirring up trouble' – Hegseth described China's conduct as a "wake-up call", accusing Beijing of endangering lives with cyber attacks, harassing its neighbours, and "illegally seizing and militarising lands" in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit. It has clashed repeatedly with the Philippines in the strategic waters in recent months, with the flashpoint set to dominate discussions at the Singapore forum, according to US officials. As Hegseth spoke in Singapore, China's military announced that its navy and air force were carrying out routine "combat readiness patrols" around the Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks Beijing disputes with the Philippines. Beijing did not send any top defence ministry officials to the summit, dispatching instead a delegation from the People's Liberation Army National Defence University led by Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng. Without referring to Hegseth by name, Hu said of his speech that "these actions are essentially about stirring up trouble, creating division, inciting confrontation, and destabilising the Asia-Pacific". Hegseth's comments came after Trump stoked new trade tensions with China, arguing that Beijing had "violated" a deal to de-escalate tariffs as the two sides appeared deadlocked in negotiations. The world's two biggest economies had agreed to temporarily lower eye-watering tariffs they had imposed on each other, pausing them for 90 days. - 'Cannot dominate' - Reassuring US allies on Saturday, Hegseth said the Asia-Pacific region was "America's priority theatre", pledging to ensure "China cannot dominate us -- or our allies and partners". He said the United States had stepped up cooperation with allies including the Philippines and Japan, and reiterated Trump's vow that "China will not invade (Taiwan) on his watch". However, he called on US partners in the region to ramp up spending on their militaries and "quickly upgrade their own defences". "Asian allies should look to countries in Europe for a newfound example," Hegseth said, citing pledges by NATO members including Germany to move towards Trump's defence spending target of five percent of GDP. "Deterrence doesn't come on the cheap." isk-pdw/sst/md
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SINGAPORE – Technological and geopolitical changes in the world have intensified security challenges and prompted countries to redefine how they think of their defence in three crucial ways, said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing. While this means the business of security has become more complex, it also opens up new opportunities for Singapore to work with more partners, Mr Chan told reporters on May 31. Speaking to the media after he hosted visiting ministers and representatives in a closed-door ministerial roundtable discussion, Mr Chan said a key topic of discussion was how 'defence and security can no longer be cut up so neatly based on geography, as per the past'. Instead, there was a strong sense that a geographic concept of security has become inadequate, with European ministers talking about their security being intertwined with that of the Asia-Pacific, and vice versa. A more networked world and greater awareness of threats from the information and cyber domains have also prompted new conversations about securing critical infrastructure, such as underwater cables that link nations to the internet, said Mr Chan. And while defence ministers used to be more concerned about kinetic warfare – the deployment of armed forces in combat – they are today equally concerned about the security and resilience of their supply chains and economies, he added. Mr Chan said a point made at the roundtable discussion was that meeting these challenges would be a long-term endeavour, requiring countries to work together. Ministerial roundtables are a regular feature of the Shangri-La Dialogue, where ministers engage in informal conversations over lunch. 'If we are really serious about building capabilities for the long haul, it must be a commitment across different political cycles,' Mr Chan said. The new challenges open up new avenues for Singapore to work with countries that are farther away but which have shared interests in developing capabilities, such as to secure supply chains and to counter disinformation, he added. During the 20-minute interview, Mr Chan was also asked about US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks earlier in the day, which included a call for Asian countries to raise their defence spending and to not become economically dependent on China. Mr Chan said ministers at lunch were 'appreciative of (Mr Hegseth's) candour'. But while the ministers were 'cheered' by the US' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, they were also keen to see how this would translate into tangible action. On the Chinese Defence Minister's absence at this year's forum, Mr Chan said most, if not all, ministers at the roundtable would have hoped for the presence of the Chinese delegation. This is because participation in the forum has continued to grow, and many countries find it a useful platform to exchange views, he added. For the first time since 2019, China sent a delegation not led by its defence minister, which meant it could not hold bilateral meetings at the ministerial level with other countries, such as the US. The Shangri-La Dialogue allows countries to have side meetings with one another, which helps minimise chances of miscalculation or misreading another country's intentions, said Mr Chan. 'I encourage all my fellow counterparts, all my fellow defence ministers, that notwithstanding China's absence, we should continue to reach out to China,' he said. 'And I'm sure China, in its own time, will also want to reach out to the rest of the world... so that we minimise the chances of misunderstanding.' To a question by a Chinese media outlet that mentioned Singapore's 'balancing act' between China and the US, Mr Chan said that is not the Republic's approach. 'Singapore is not trying to balance anybody, and we are also not the interlocutor (between other countries),' he said. Instead, Mr Chan said it sees itself as an open and inclusive platform that allows people to come together for frank and honest conversations. 'Where it's appreciated, we will also share with our partners our perspectives, our interpretations, and likewise, we appreciate our partners sharing with us their perspectives and their interpretations of events,' he added. Mr Chan said one point that came up during the lunch was the importance of trust, without which it would be difficult for countries to work together on matters of defence. Building trust has to be done at multiple levels: from those in high political office meeting and talking to one another, to soldiers, airmen and sailors having the opportunity to train together and understand one another's concerns, he said. The more such opportunities exist, the greater the chances that the next generation will work together to overcome new challenges, and Singapore will play its part, he added. 'We will always be an open and inclusive platform for people to come together and exchange notes, to have frank conversations with one another,' he said. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
