Gregor Stuart Hunter, Rae Wee and Jun Yuan YongMay 30, 2026 – 9.16pmSingapore | US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has praised Australia and other allies for “stepping up” and boosting military spending but rebuked others wanting a “free ride on the generosity of the American taxpayer”.Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of “rightful alarm” over its rapid military buildup.Bloomberg and ReutersSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles