Latest news with #Shangri-LaDialogue
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Business
- Time of India
US won't leave Indo-Pacific alone against China, says Hegseth
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday reassured Indo-Pacific allies that they won't be left to confront China's growing military and economic pressure alone. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore, he also urged regional partners to boost their own defense spending and readiness. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent,' Hegseth said. He accused China of actively training for an invasion of Taiwan and cited Beijing's military exercises simulating a blockade of the self-governed island, which China claims as its own. Hegseth noted that China has also expanded its military presence through man-made islands in the South China Sea and advanced its hypersonic and space capabilities. In response, the US is ramping up its own space-based 'Golden Dome' missile defenses. He also highlighted China's growing ambitions in Latin America, especially its efforts to increase influence over the Panama Canal. He urged Indo-Pacific nations to contribute more to their own security, referencing the 5 per cent of GDP that European allies are being asked to commit to defense spending. Despite the US pledging to prioritize the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth was questioned about the recent redeployment of US military assets to other regions. A Patriot missile defense battalion was recently moved from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, and Coast Guard ships were redirected to the US-Mexico border. Hegseth defended the decision, citing the need to respond to Houthi missile attacks and illegal immigration, but emphasized that allies must share the burden. 'Ultimately a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also warned against regional governments relying on China economically while seeking US military protection. 'Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension,' he said. China sent only a lower-level delegation to the conference this year, skipping the traditional appearance by its defense minister. Hegseth acknowledged the absence and said the US would continue to engage with willing partners across the region. He added that the US approach would not require ideological alignment. "We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum — traditional allies, non-traditional allies.' Hegseth's remarks come as the Trump administration increases defense ties in the Middle East and faces challenges balancing military commitments between regions.
Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
French President Macron touts ‘positive new' Asia-Europe alliance amid US-China rivalry
Singapore, French President Emmanuel Macron has called on European and Asian nations to work together to build a "positive new alliance" to avoid being dragged into the growing rivalry between the US and China. Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Macron singled out the China-US rivalry as the biggest risk confronting the world. France's longstanding goal for Europe's strategic autonomy is also relevant for Asian countries, which share many of the same interests and can combine forces with like-minded European partners as they seek 'a third way,' Macron said in the speech on Friday. 'The time for non-alignment has undoubtedly passed, but the time for coalitions of action has come and requires that countries capable of acting together give themselves every means to do so,' Macron said in his keynote address. 'Let's build a positive new alliance between Europe and Asia, based on our common norms, on our common principles. Our shared responsibility is to ensure with others that our countries are not collateral victims of the imbalances linked to the choices made by the superpowers,' the leader of Europe's second-largest economy added. 'We have a challenge of revisionist countries that want to impose under the name of spheres of influence – in reality, spheres of coercion; countries that want to control areas from the fringe of Europe to the archipelagos in the South China Sea, at the exclusion of regional partners, oblivious to international law,' Macron said. Macron pointed out that France is an Indo-Pacific nation as seven of its offshore territories sit in the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, with a million French citizens living in this region. Macron said that the 'unpredictability' of Trump's tariff approach that ended 'a rule-based order for our trade' constitutes a common threat to Europe and Asia, affecting these nations' ability to finance their defence, requiring their greater cohesion. 'France is a friend and an ally of the United States, and is a friend—and we do cooperate if sometimes we disagree and compete—with China,' he said. 'We don't want to be instructed on a daily basis what is allowed, what is not allowed, and how our life will change because of the decision of a single person.' The dialogue also included US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and defence and security leaders from around the world. Hegseth, meanwhile, asked Asian countries to increase their defence spending to match levels that Washington expects of European allies. 'It is hard to believe I can say this – but Asian allies and partners should look to countries in Europe as a new-found example. NATO members are pledging to spend 5 per cent of their GDP on defence, even Germany,' he said. Hegseth had communicated to European allies this expectation at the Munich Security Conference in February. 'How can it make sense for countries in Europe to do that while key allies and partners in Asia spend far less in the face of a far more formidable threat from Communist China, not to mention North Korea? he asked. The global forum is being skipped by China by not sending its Defence Minister. Defence experts and diplomatic sources said the absence of a Chinese Ministerial representation at the Singapore Dialogue is being felt as China had last year and on several other occasions traded strong words with the US delegates. Hegseth underlined, 'Ultimately, a strong, resolute, and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage. China envies what we have together.' President Donald Trump has been calling on US allies to bear a greater responsibility for their conventional defences, telling the nations in the South China region not to expect the US to bear the financial burden alone for regional stability and security. For a generation, the US ignored the Indo-Pacific, but under the Trump administration, 'we are here to stay', Hegseth said.
New Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
US warns China 'credibly preparing' for military action in Asia
SINGAPORE: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned Saturday that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was "here to stay" in the Indo-Pacific region. The Pentagon chief made the remarks 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. Since taking office in January, Trump has launched a trade war with China, 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 added. Hegseth warned the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal." Beijing has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan and held multiple large-scale exercises around the island, 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. 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 South China Sea. Beijing claims almost the entire disputed 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 defence 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. "China's assertiveness in the South China Sea has only increased in recent years," Casey Mace, charge d'affaires at the US embassy in Singapore, told journalists ahead of the meeting. "I think that this type of forum is exactly the type of forum where we need to have an exchange on that." Beijing has not sent any top defence ministry officials to the summit, dispatching a delegation from the People's Liberation Army National Defence University instead. 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. But on Friday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US," without providing details. Asked about the statement on CNBC, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer took aim at Beijing for continuing to "slow down and choke off things like critical minerals." Reassuring US allies on Saturday, Hegseth said the Indo-Pacific 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." But 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 toward Trump's spending target of five percent of GDP. "Deterrence doesn't come on the cheap."--AFP
News18
38 minutes ago
- Business
- News18
At Singapore Forum, CDS Anil Chauhan Calls Disengagement With Pakistan A 'Sound Strategy'
Last Updated: General Chauhan made the remark during the 22nd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday said that if hostility from Pakistan continues, disengagement from India may be a 'sound strategy for now". General Chauhan made the remark during the 22nd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an annual summit hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He is visiting the country from 30 May to 1 June. Speaking on the India-Pakistan relationship, the CDS stated, 'Now, we are not operating without a strategy." General Chauhan said that India's rise over the decades has not been accidental but the result of careful long-term planning. He compared the situation at the time of independence in 1947 with the present day, noting that Pakistan was then ahead of India in key areas like the economy, social development, and per capita income. 'When we gained independence, Pakistan was ahead of us on every metric, social, economic, GDP per capita. Today, India is ahead on all fronts, economic performance, human development, and social harmony, despite our greater diversity," General Chauhan said. 'That didn't happen by accident; it's a result of long-term strategy," he added. The CDS also stressed that India has made several diplomatic efforts to improve ties with Pakistan. He cited the example of 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in ceremony. However, he added that diplomacy must be a two-way effort. 'It takes two hands to clap," General Chauhan said. 'If all we get in return is hostility, then disengagement may itself be a sound strategy for now." The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia's leading defence and security forum, bringing together defence ministers, military leaders, policy makers, and strategic experts from across the world. Location : Singapore First Published: May 31, 2025, 09:59 IST
Leader Live
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Hegseth: US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against ‘imminent' China threat
He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance towards Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army 'is rehearsing for the real deal', Mr Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. 'We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.' China has a stated goal of having its military have the capability to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. But China also has built sophisticated man-made islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the US to create its own space-based Golden Dome missile defences. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference hosted by the International Institute for Security Studies, Mr Hegseth said China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's 'actively training for it, every day'. Mr Hegseth repeated a pledge made by previous administrations to bolster US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific (Anupam Nath/AP) Mr Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal. He urged countries in the region to increase defence spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute. 'We must all do our part,' Mr Hegseth said. He also repeated a pledge made by previous administrations to bolster US military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to provide a more robust deterrent. While both the Obama and Biden administrations had also committed to pivoting to the Pacific and established new military agreements throughout the region, a full shift has never been realised. Instead, US military resources from the Indo-Pacific have been regularly pulled to support military needs in the Middle East and Europe, especially since the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In the first few months of president Donald Trump's second term, that has also been the case. In the last few months the Trump administration has taken a Patriot missile defence battalion out of the Indo-Pacific in order to send it to the Middle East, a massive logistical operation that required more than 73 military cargo aircraft flights, and sent Coast Guard ships back to the US to help defend the US-Mexico border. Mr Hegseth was asked why the US pulled those resources if the Indo-Pacific is the priority theatre for the US. He did not directly answer but said the shift of resources was necessary to defend against Houthi missile attacks launched from Yemen, and to bolster protections against illegal immigration into the US. At the same time, he stressed the need for American allies and partners to step up their own defence spending and preparations, saying the US was not interested in going it alone. 'Ultimately a strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners is our key strategic advantage,' he said. 'China envies what we have together, and it sees what we can collectively bring to bear on defence, but it's up to all of us to ensure that we live up to that potential by investing.' The Indo-Pacific nations caught in between have tried to balance relations with both the US and China over the years. Beijing is the primary trading partner for many, but is also feared as a regional bully, in part due to its increasingly aggressive claims on natural resources such as critical fisheries. Mr Hegseth cautioned that playing both sides, seeking US military support and Chinese economic support, carries risk. 'Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defense decision space during times of tension,' Mr Hegseth said. China usually sends its own defence minister to this conference, but Dong Jun did not attend this year in a snub to the US and the erratic tariff war Mr Trump has ignited with Beijing, something the US delegation said it intended to capitalise on. 'We are here this morning. And somebody else isn't,' Mr Hegseth said. Mr Hegseth was asked by a member of the Chinese delegation, made up of lower level officers from the National Defence University, how committed it would be to regional alliances. In some, China has a more dominant influence. Mr Hegseth said the US would be open to engaging with any countries willing to work with it. 'We are not going to look only inside the confines of how previous administrations looked at this region,' he said. 'We're opening our arms to countries across the spectrum — traditional allies, non-traditional allies.' Mr Hegseth said committing US support for Indo-Pacific nations would not require local governments to align with the West on cultural or climate issues. It is not clear if the US can or wants to supplant China as the region's primary economic driver. But Mr Hegseth's push follows Mr Trump's visit to the Middle East, which resulted in billions of dollars in new defence agreements.
