Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth struck a measured tone towards China at a major defence forum on Saturday, noting "rightful alarm" over Beijing's military build-up but saying the United States sought a "stable…

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s speech at Asian security forum to serve as important gauge of whether summit has stabilised US-China relations.

While the US defence chief gave gung-ho speech at last year’s conference, post-summit reset in ties may prompt moderation.