Pete Hegseth has called on Asian countries to increase their military spending to increase regional deterrence against China which was “rehearsing for the real deal” of taking over Taiwan.
The US defense secretary, addressing the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, reiterated pledges to increase the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and outlined a range of new joint projects.
“It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said. “There’s no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.”
Hesgeth said Donald Trump’s administration had pushed European countries to boost their defensive spending, taking on a greater “burden” of responding to conflicts in their region, and it was time for Asian nations to do the same.
The defense secretary, who in March was revealed to have told a Signal group chat that Europe was “pathetic” and “freeloading” on US security support in the region, told the Singapore conference it was “hard to believe” he was now saying this but Asian countries should “look to allies in Europe as a newfound example”.
“Deterrence doesn’t come on the cheap … time is of the essence.”
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