Hegseth praises Indo-Pacific nations for improving defense capabilities, pragmatism

SINGAPORE — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today heaped praise on US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific for stepping up defense spending and improving their capabilities, saying that peace and prosperity in the region must be underwritten through strength from the US and its regional allies. 

However, he notably did not reference Taiwan by name during his speech at the opening plenary at the Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore, instead emphasizing that the US was working towards a durable balance of power in the region where no one country can dominate. 

Hegseth cast that view as shared by regional partners and allies, who he said were alarmed at China’s historic military buildup and its growing military activities in the region and beyond.

“We share a clear-eyed assessment of that security environment and a mutual understanding that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium we all seek to preserve,” he said in his speech.

He however praised regional countries for increasing their defense spending and improving their military capabilities in recent years, highlighting treaty allies such as Australia, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea for stepping up.  

For instance, he highlighted the Philippines shift towards external defense and enhancing interoperability with US forces, along with the 12% increase in defense spending by the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to modernize its military and its coast guard

“This spending increase will fund the Philippines’ multi-year effort to develop a modern, technologically advanced, and interoperable force that can plug in and fight alongside American warfighters,” said Hegseth. 

Other regional allies such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam were also mentioned for their efforts towards regional security, as was Shangri-la Dialogue host Singapore, which Hegseth said punched above its weight by “investing heavily in its military and serving as a vital hub for US logistics activities and rotational deployments, strengthening our shared regional posture.”

Upon his arrival in Singapore on Friday morning for the dialogue, Hegseth had visited US military personnel on board the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer which was in town on a port visit. 

The defense secretary used his remarks to directly contrast the Pacific partners with America’s European allies, who he said had ignored “polite pleas” to increase defense spending and hollowed out their militaries, although he acknowledged that they had recently begun to play catch up.  

“Alliances only work when they are true partnerships. It is a two-way street. You don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game,” he said.