Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the “era of US subsidising wealthy nations is over”.
Hegseth said that “a Pacific dominated by any hegemony would unravel” the regional balance of power, adding that the US remains committed to maintaining a “free and open Indo-Pacific” despite months of focus on the war with Iran.
He also warned that “no state, including China, can impose hegemony and hold security of our nation and allies”.
Despite the strong rhetoric, Hegseth said relations between the US and China are “better than they have been in many years” under President Donald Trump.
“We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication,” he said, adding that the US insists that “China respects our longstanding position in the region”.
