Hegseth Urges Indo-Pacific Allies to Share Defense Burden at Shangri-La Dialogue

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, calling on allies in the Western Pacific to maintain their military strength and share the burden of regional defense. “We need partners, not protectorates,” Hegseth said according to the U.S. Naval Institute report of the speech. He told those gathered that no “hegemon” should dominate the region.

The speech followed talks with Beijing and came more than two weeks after Hegseth accompanied President Donald Trump on an official visit to Beijing. Hegseth told reporters the administration is weighing how to approach China’s military capabilities.

“We respect their ambitions. We know that they have a significant military buildup that comes with considerations we have to take as a sovereign nation to ensure that we’re prepared for any possible contingency,” Hegseth said on May 30, 2026, per the U.S. Embassy in Singapore.

The Pentagon recently paused a $14 billion arms package to Taiwan. Hegseth told reporters the pause was unrelated to Senate confirmation proceedings for Hung Cao. “Hung Cao is fantastic, but I would not couple the two in any way at all,” he said. “Any decision about future Taiwan arms sales, as the president said, will rest with him and as a nature of that relationship,” Hegseth added.

President Trump had been scheduled to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, but the call is now on hold, CBS News reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet President Trump at the White House in late September for their second private meeting this year.