U.S. Stands with Asian Nations Against China's Geopolitical Aggression, Defense Secretary Issues Stern Warning at Singapore Security Summit

U.S. Stands with Asian Nations Against China's Geopolitical Aggression, Defense Secretary Issues Stern Warning at Singapore Security Summit
Singapore – At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security summit held this weekend at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel, many top military officials were in attendance — but one notable absence drew attention.

China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun did not participate in the summit. Instead, Beijing sent a lower-ranking delegation. This is the first time since 2019 that China has not sent its defense minister to the high-level event (excluding 2020 and 2021, when the summit was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). As a result, Dong missed the opportunity to meet his American counterpart, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, face to face.

Taking advantage of this absence, Hegseth delivered a solo keynote speech on Saturday, in which he described China’s military threat as “potentially imminent.”

He said,

“Everyone must clearly understand that Beijing is actively preparing to use military power to shift the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Citing repeated military drills around Taiwan and escalating confrontations in the South China Sea, Hegseth stated,

“China is deliberately harassing its neighbors.”

“There’s nothing to hide here. China’s threat is real, and it may materialize very soon,” he warned.

Highlighting China’s growing military aggression, Hegseth urged Asian countries to increase their defense spending. He reaffirmed that the United States stands firmly with Asian nations to counter China’s geopolitical aggression. As an example, he mentioned Germany, which has announced that it will spend 5% of its GDP on defense.

He said,

“When European nations are prepared to spend so much on defense, it makes little sense for allies in Asia — facing even greater threats — to invest less.”

Although relations with some close U.S. allies have been strained in recent months due to new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, Hegseth assured that Washington remains committed to the security of the Asia-Pacific region.

“America has proudly returned to the Indo-Pacific, and we are here to stay,” he concluded.