'No state, including China, can impose hegemony': US secretary of war Pete Hegseth issues warning

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a blunt warning to China at Asia's premier defence summit on Saturday, declaring that "no state, including China, can impose its hegemony" while also taking aim at European allies for not pulling their weight.


"The bedrock of partnership is alignment on national interests," Hegseth said in his address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.


Washington seeks "a favourable but durable balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question," he said.




The US defence chief claimed there is "rightful alarm" in the Asia-Pacific region regarding China's military buildup and the expansion of its activities in the region and beyond.


"While a decent peace is our goal, make no mistake, America is a Pacific nation, and we insist that China respect our longstanding position in the region," he said.
Despite the strong rhetoric, Hegseth said US-China relations are better than they have been in many years under President Donald Trump, with more frequent military-to-military communication.


Hegseth made it clear that the era of the US subsidising wealthy nations is over. He demanded that allies spend at least 3.5% of their GDP on defence, warning that "allies who refuse to step up and carry their own weight for our collective defence will face a clear shift in how we do business."


"For those nations, we are moving them to the front of the line: expedited arms sales, deep industrial-based collaboration, expanded intelligence sharing," he said.


He praised India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for stepping up and improving military readiness, while taking aim at Europe.


"Europe should take note," Hegseth said, adding that "for too long, the security of this region has rested disproportionately on American military power, while many of our allies and partners allowed their own defence capabilities to atrophy."


Alliances should happen "without the drama and the moralising," he said.


Iran-linked security concerns in the Gulf region and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are also key themes of this year's discussions. Many Asian countries are anxious to see the conflict resolved as they depend on fuel and fertiliser imports from the region.

What is the Shangri-La Dialogue?

Billed as "Asia's premier defence summit," the Shangri-La Dialogue is an annual security conference hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore. It brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, and security officials from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond to discuss regional security challenges, military cooperation, and geopolitical tensions.


This year's edition runs from Friday to Sunday. Attendees include Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin, and Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani.


Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun is not attending for the second consecutive year. Beijing has instead sent a delegation of "experts and scholars" from the People's Liberation Army.
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