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US War Secretary Pete Hegseth used his address on the second day of the Shangri-La Dialogue to underscore Washington's commitment to the Indo-Pacific while warning against any attempt to dominate the region.
Speaking at the security summit in Singapore, Hegseth was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that the "era of US subsidising wealthy nations is over", implying that the US was done subsidising other rich countries. The War Secretary stressed that the United States remains committed to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. This comes at a time when Washington's attention has been heavily focused on the conflict with Iran in recent months. "A Pacific dominated by any hegemony would unravel" the region's balance of power, Hegseth said, arguing that preserving stability requires preventing any single power from exerting overwhelming influence, as quoted by Al Jazeera. He also issued a warning directed at potential regional challengers, saying that "no state, including China, can impose hegemony and hold security of our nation and allies". At the same time, Hegseth struck a more conciliatory note on US-China relations, saying ties between Washington and Beijing have improved under US President Donald Trump. "We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication," he said, according to Al Jazeera, adding that the United States continues to insist that "China respects our longstanding position in the region". Earlier on Friday (local time), Hegseth arrived in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the Indo-Pacific region's leading defence and security forums. According to the official advisory issued by the US Department of War, the Singapore visit marks Hegseth's fourth trip to the Indo-Pacific region. During his visit, he is scheduled to meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing, in addition to participating in several bilateral and multilateral meetings with regional allies and partners. Convened annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Shangri-La Dialogue is regarded as Asia's premier defence and security summit. The forum brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, policymakers, business leaders and security experts from across the Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and West Asia to discuss regional and global security challenges. According to the event's official website, the dialogue serves as a unique platform for debate and policy discussions on Asia's evolving security landscape, while also providing opportunities for high-level bilateral engagements among participating delegations. The 2026 edition of the dialogue is being held in Singapore from May 29 to 31. (ANI)
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