U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said the U.S. is stepping up its efforts to resist China’s plans to “dominate and control” Southeast and East Asia.
“America is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific, and we’re here to stay,” he said in an assertive policy address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, considered the region’s premier defense summit.
Why It Matters
Successive U.S. administrations have pushed for an “Indo-Pacific pivot” to counter China’s rise as a rival power and growing assertiveness in the region. This is especially evident in the case of Taiwan, the self-governed island democracy that China claims as its own and has vowed to unify with—by force if necessary.
Beijing also asserts sweeping claims over the South China Sea, where its forces have clashed with their Philippine counterparts within Manila’s maritime zone, prompting deeper security cooperation between the U.S. and its treaty ally.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. outside of office hours with an emailed request for comment.
What To Know
In his opening remarks, Hegseth warned China seeks no less than hegemony over the region and is increasingly willing to resort to force.
He cited confrontations in the South China Sea, including incidents in which China’s coast guard used water cannon against Philippine vessels, injuring several people last year.
He also reiterated assessments by U.S. officials that Chinese Premier Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be capable of taking Taiwan by 2027.
This scenario “could be imminent,” Hegseth said. He reiterated a pledge by Trump that it would not happen “on his watch.”
“We are prepared to do what the Department of Defense does best—to fight and win a war,” he stated, but said the best deterrent is to make the prospect of such an invasion too costly for Beijing.
He cited the proposed Pentagon budget of $1 trillion for 2026, initiatives such as the planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system and renewed investments in shipbuilding—an area where the U.S. lags behind China, which now commands the world’s largest navy.
Hegseth also praised the “peace through strength” doctrine championed by Trump as a cornerstone of deterrence. Calling the Indo-Pacific Washington’s “priority theater,” he promised to step up joint defense cooperation and to “deter aggression by communist China.”
Yet Hegseth also stressed that the U.S. does not seek confrontation with China or regime change. “We will be ready, but we will not be reckless,” he said.
It was Hegseth’s second trip to the region as secretary of defense. During his last visit, he announced the deployment of NMESIS anti-ship missiles to a remote Philippine island near Taiwan ahead of U.S.-Philippine drills.
China condemned the move, saying it destabilized the region.
What People Are Saying
Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy, told Newsweek: “What I want to stress is we are on the path to better relations with regional countries—so we don’t need the U.S. to teach us.”
“I think Secretary Hegseth is kind of trying to [come] between China and regional countries. I don’t think this will be successful.
Bonnie Glaser, managing director, U.S. Indo-Pacific Program’s German Marshall Fund, told Newsweek: “Hegseth described Chinese coercion and aggression against Taiwan and the South China Sea more clearly than any prior U.S. defense secretary. Those are facts, not confrontational posturing.
“He also provided some assurances, stating that the U.S. doesn’t seek regime change in China. Beijing opted not to accept the opportunity to deliver its own vision for the region from the Shangri La Dialogue podium. That was a mistake, in my view.”
What’s Next
The U.S. is expected to continue strengthening bilateral defense ties with the Philippines, Japan, Australia, and others, along with multilateral frameworks, as countries in the region respond to perceived threats from China and North Korea.
The Shangri-La Dialogue will conclude on Sunday. Unlike in previous years, China’s defense minister did not attend.
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