U.S. Defense Secretary Urges Asian Allies to Raise Military Spending

The U.S. defense secretary told Asian allies they must increase defense spending if they want to buy more American arms. The comments came during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The defense secretary framed relations with the region in transactional terms, according to Politico.

The speech did not mention Taiwan.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping had warned weeks earlier of clashes if Washington mishandles the situation around the island, which Beijing considers a breakaway province. The defense secretary's tone aligned with a shift in a U.S. strategy document last year that removed Beijing as the country's top threat.

The defense secretary's remarks followed the Trump administration's approach toward European countries on defense spending. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday renewed calls for America's allies in Asia to increase military spending to boost deterrence against China, in a speech marked by a shift away from a confrontational stance toward Beijing.