US defence chief Hegseth signals ‘early priorities are domestic’ in China remarks

US defence chief Pete Hegseth’s remarks on China suggest he is doubling down on Donald Trump’s push for allies to take a bigger share of the burden when it comes to security, according to analysts.

They also said domestic issues could be driving a shift in focus away from the Indo-Pacific.

The new secretary of defence was speaking at his first town hall meeting of the Pentagon workforce in Arlington, Virginia last Friday.

During a question-and-answer session with troops and staff, Hegseth was asked about the deterrence strategy, particularly in the context of China’s “grey zone” activities, according to a transcript released by the Department of Defence.

He said the Pentagon was “not attempting to initiate conflict or create conflict where it otherwise doesn’t need to exist”.

He also pledged to “stand strong with our partners”, but emphasised that “part of ‘America first’ is empowering allies and partners to be combat multipliers, to add to the capabilities that we have” through mechanisms like defence partnerships and foreign military sales.