By Matthew Walsh and Martin Abbugao
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth struck a measured tone toward China at a major defense forum on Saturday, noting “justifiable alarm” over Beijing’s military buildup but saying the United States sought a “stable balance” in Asia.
Hegseth’s keynote speech at Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue, which brings together senior defense officials and experts from some 45 countries, contrasted with his strongly confrontational comments about China at last year’s gathering.
Unlike Beijing, which has sent a panel of military experts and researchers instead of Defense Minister Dong Jun for the second year in a row, Hegseth leads a strong US delegation at the event that offers chances for both open debate and closed-door diplomacy.
“When we look across the region today, there is justifiable alarm about China’s historic military build-up and expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said.
Washington does not seek “unnecessary confrontation in the region,” but rather “a truly stable balance (in Asia) that works for both the Americans and our allies,” he said.
This means “a favorable but stable balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and keep the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question,” he added.
He said the United States sought “respectful” and “good faith” engagement with Beijing, adding: “I would like my counterpart to be here at this conference, but I look forward to other options when we can cross paths.”
Trump visited China this month, talking about “fantastic” trade deals but giving few details and later suggesting that Washington could use arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan as a bargaining chip with Beijing.
There was “no change” in Washington’s stance on Taiwan, but “any decision on future arms sales to Taiwan … will be up to US President Donald Trump,” Hegseth said.
Shifting vibes
The remarks were in stark contrast to last year’s event, when Hegseth painted China as a potentially “imminent” threat. to security and outlined a grand vision of American muscular prevention.
That day, he also took a shot at Beijing’s absentee minister, saying: “We’re here this morning and someone else isn’t.”
Hegseth’s speech reflected the “quite happy, quite positive” atmosphere of Trump’s visit to China, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
But he saw no “deliberate rapprochement”, saying the address “simply reflects how this (US) administration sees superpower competition … we need to strengthen our capabilities and we need to make sure that our allies are also working hard and raising the money”.
In Dong’s place, China has sent experts and researchers from its military’s academic institutions, led by Major General Meng Xiangqing of the National Defense University.
Analysts have said Dong’s no-show reflects Beijing’s belief as an established power with little inclination to answer publicly for its assertive moves in the region.
But some argue that China is also running the risk of having no top policymakers present if two major security issues emerge: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Beijing’s claim to Taiwan.
Hegseth again urged America’s allies to spend more on their defense, singling out South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Philippines for praise, while threatening consequences for nations that “free ride on the generosity of American taxpayers.”
“Those days are over. Allies who refuse to step up and pull their weight for our collective defense will face a stark change in the way we do business.”
The threat of Iran
Hegseth’s remarks came as a peace deal between the United States and Iran to end their war remained elusive.
A White House official told AFP on Friday that Trump, who is weighing a final decision on a potential deal, would commit only if Iran met all of his conditions.
But Iran has said there is “no final deal” and its state media has rejected parts of Trump’s characterization of the deal.
Hegseth said Washington was “more than capable” of restarting the war if it wanted to.
The Pentagon chief will also meet his British and Australian counterparts as part of the AUKUS security alliance.
Australian media have reported, citing unnamed sources, that the AUKUS nations are expected to announce a major project, possibly involving unmanned underwater vehicles.
