At Shangri-La Dialogue, Pete Hegseth says China aims to alter Asia’s status quo

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Indo-Pacific defence chiefs that China wanted to “fundamentally alter the region’s status quo”, and that American allies must step up defence investments.

Speaking on Saturday in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence conference, Hegseth said that the threat posed by China was “real and could be imminent”.

He said this included Beijing’s efforts to build the capacity to take over Taiwan by force by 2027.

“President Trump has also said that Communist China will not invade Taiwan on his watch,” he added.

He said that while the United States did not seek war or to humiliate China, “it has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo Pacific”.

He appealed to senior officials there, saying that Washington “counts on” American allies and partners to do their part on defence as they shift their strategic focus to the region.