By AFP and Focus | 2026-06-01

SINGAPORE -- U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said Washington seeks a "stable equilibrium" with China in Asia, warning about Beijing's military expansion while emphasizing that the United States does not want "needless confrontation."

Speaking at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue of regional defense leaders on May 30, Hegseth outlined a U.S. approach focused on deterrence, alliance-building and what he called a "favorable but durable balance of power."

"When we look across the region today, there is rightful alarm regarding China's historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond," Hegseth said.

The conference took place May 29–31.

Balancing deterrence and stability

Washington does not seek "needless confrontation" but rather "a genuinely stable equilibrium (in Asia) that works for Americans as well as our allies," he said.

That means "a favorable but durable balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question," according to Hegseth.

Hegseth said preventing Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific remained central to U.S. strategy, warning that a Pacific "dominated by any hegemon" would undermine the regional balance. Washington is "changing the playbook," and "the era of performative outrage is over," he said.

Unlike Beijing, which sent a panel of military experts and scholars instead of Defense Minister Dong Jun for the second year running, Hegseth led a bumper US delegation to the event that provides chances for both open debate and closed-door diplomacy.

The Pentagon chief said the United States sought "respectful" and "good-faith" engagement with Beijing, adding: "I wish my counterpart was here at this conference, but I look forward to other options when we can cross paths."

Maj. Gen. Meng Xiangqing, leader of the Chinese delegation, said following the speech that "stable U.S.-China relations are not only good for both peoples, but also good for regional stability and global peace."

There had been "no change" in Washington's stance towards Taiwan, but "any decision about future Taiwan arms sales ... will rest with" President Donald Trump, Hegseth said.

This year's address by Hegseth was "much more moderate," Chinese delegate Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Beijing's Tsinghua University, told AFP.

Another no-show by China's defense minister

Dong's no-show reflects Beijing's confidence as an established power with little inclination to answer publicly for its assertive moves in the region, say analysts.

Hegseth praised nations including South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Philippines for boosting their defense spending, while warning that allies that continue to "free-ride" on U.S. security commitments would face a change in Washington's approach. He cited South Korea's move toward spending 3.5% of GDP on defense as a model for other regional partners.

"Those days are over. Allies who refuse to step up and carry their own weight for our collective defense will face a clear shift in how we do business," he said.

Hegseth's remarks came as peace negotiations between the United States and Iran had yet to produce an agreement.

AUKUS undersea push

On the sidelines of the dialogue, Hegseth and his British and Australian counterparts announced a joint program under their AUKUS security alliance to develop unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) payloads, with deployment set to begin in 2027.

Hegseth said the program would deliver "a suite of highly adaptable multi-mission UUV payloads" to support undersea operations and maintain "our collective advantage in the maritime domain," according to Reuters.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the drones would rapidly provide allied forces with "cutting-edge sensors and weapons systems." The three nations have for too long "talked too much and delivered too little" under AUKUS, he said.