US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was seen running drills and doing push-ups alongside American service members aboard the USS Boxer in Singapore ahead of this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (C) leaves after a bilateral meeting with Vietnam's Defence Minister Phan Van Giang on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 29, 2026. (AFP)The video, shared by Fox News on X, showed Hegseth taking part in an early-morning physical training session with troops while the assault ship was docked in Singapore.“Early morning PT with America’s bravest,” Fox News wrote in the post. “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth kicks off his day by working out alongside US troops aboard the USS Boxer while docked in Singapore.”Hegseth joins troops for workoutIn the footage, Hegseth can be seen jogging with military personnel, performing push-ups and participating in other workout drills on the ship’s deck.The clip drew attention online, with supporters praising the defence chief for participating directly alongside troops.“Secretary Hegseth leading from the front, PT with the troops at 0-dark-thirty on the flight deck. This is what real leadership looks like,” one X user commented.Another wrote: “Yep he did this last night (US time) it was pretty cool he gets involved with the troops.”Also Read: India, US discuss defence, energy cooperation amid West Asia conflictSome social media users also compared the moment to previous administrations, while others questioned whether the video was carefully staged for media attention.“Looks like a solid run... and a very well-timed B-roll for the evening show,” one commenter posted.Taiwan, China expected to dominate summit discussionsHegseth’s appearance aboard the USS Boxer came ahead of his scheduled address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, one of Asia’s most closely watched security forums.According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese delegates attending the summit expect Washington to adopt a less confrontational tone on Taiwan compared to previous years, particularly after the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.Last year, Hegseth warned that any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan by force would have “devastating consequences” for the Indo-Pacific region.Also Read: A deeper look at US-China security competitionHowever, retired PLA senior colonel Zhou Bo told the publication that US rhetoric may not escalate further this year. “They cannot raise the rhetoric to that level again,” he said.Meetings with Singapore leadersSeparately, the US Department of War said Hegseth met Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Defence Minister Chan Chung Sing on the sidelines of the summit.According to a departmental readout, the discussions focused on expanding US naval and air force rotational deployments in Singapore and reaffirming bilateral defence cooperation aimed at maintaining regional deterrence and stability.