Hegseth reassures the allies that we will support them against Chinese aggression

Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, reaffirmed on Saturday in a speech to Singapore that the United States will continue to support the American allies in the Indo-Pacific region against Chinese aggression when he warns that Chinese military action could be “imminent”.

Hegseth made his comments in a speech during the annual dialogue of Shangri-La, which is organized by the International Institute of Security Studies and is a very publicized rally of regional and international security leaders.

His remarks have exposed how the Trump administration considers the Indo-Pacific region as a “priority theater” and how the United States is ready to stand in a region where China continues to carry out aggressive military actions, especially against Taiwan and the Philippines.

“We are not looking for a conflict with communist China. We will not encourage or seek to subjugate or humiliate,” said Hegseth. “President Trump and the American people have immense respect for the Chinese people and their civilization, but we will not be expelled from this critical region. And we will not let our allies and partners be subordinate and intimidated.”

In recent years, China has invested massively in the construction of its soldiers and has increased its naval and air presence around Taiwan, engaging in an almost daily harassment of the borders of Taiwan – which makes it fear that it is preparing to take over the island nation which it considers as a province of escape.

“No one knows what China will do,” said Hegseth. “But they are preparing and we must therefore be ready too. Emergency and vigilance are our only option.”

“We are preparing for war, to dissuade war – to reach peace by force,” added Hegseth. “And we turn to you – our allies and partners – to join us in this important work. Our time is now. The threats we face will not wait. We cannot either.”

To be clear: any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would lead to devastating consequences for Indo-Pacific and the world, “said Hegseth who stressed that China could be ready to act earlier than the 2027 deadline that Chinese President Xi Jinping had established so that the soldiers of China are prepared for possible action against Taiwan.

“There is no reason to make it sugar.

China has also increased tensions with the Philippines where Chinese military ships regularly harass the Philippin ships operating in international waters of the Southern China Sea while it continues to assert its territorial claims in the region.

Relations between the United States and China are also sour following the announcement by Trump of steep prices on Chinese imports that led China to announce reciprocal prices. The two parties have since concluded a trembling temporary agreement to reduce their prices.

In his remarks, Hegseth said that the Trump administration was looking for a “common sense” approach to restore deterrence which includes the increase in American military presence in the Western Pacific, “helping allies and partners to strengthen their defense capacities and by rebuilding our industrial defense bases.”

Hegseth encouraged Asian countries to follow the example of NATO countries that have committed to increasing their military spending to 5% of their gross domestic product, because the Trump administration said it wanted them to appropriate their security commitments in Europe.

“President Trump and I will count on you in this room – our allies and partners – to be multipliers of the Peace Force alongside the United States,” said Hegseth. “We ask – and indeed, we insist that our allies and our partners are doing their part on the defense.”

He added: “Sometimes it means having uncomfortable and difficult conversations. Partners owes each other to be honest and realistic. It is the essence of a pragmatic foreign policy and common sense.”

Hegseth stressed that the administration’s approach does not mean that the American allies will have to go a horseman alone in potential military actions.

“You will also see that we are – and will remain – faithful to our allies and partners. In fact, the only way to ensure sustainable alliances and partnerships is to ensure that each party makes its part,” he said.

Hegseth added: “We will stand with you and next to you to dissuade Chinese assault,” said Hegseth.

The forum is sometimes an opportunity for high-level meetings between the high leaders of the United States and the Chinese defense during periods of increasing tension. But in an apparent snobbish, the Chinese Minister of Defense did not attend the Forum of this year and in place, China was represented by a delegation of its National Defense University.

“We cannot explain whether or not China is here or not here or not, but we are happy whether we be, and we think it makes the region more stable and more peaceful,” HegSeth told journalists when asked to comment on the decision of China.

The growing aggression of China in the region was a major subject of the conference which included an opening address of the French president Emmanuel Macron, who turned nations of Southeast Asia to underline the role of France in the region.

Friday evening, Hegseth sat in the public while Macron stressed the importance of a new alliance between the European and Asian nations to avoid becoming “collateral victims of the decisions taken by the superpowers” – a reference to the United States and China.

Macron warned of a loss of credibility for the order based on international headings if it is applied differently by the United States with regard to China as it tries to resolve the war in Ukraine by allowing Russia to continue to seize the Ukrainian territory as proposed by the Trump administration.

“If we consider that Russia could be authorized to be part of the territory of Ukraine without any restriction, without any constraint, without any reaction of the world order, how would you explain what could happen in Taiwan?” Said Macron. “What would you do the day something happens in the Philippines?”

“What is at stake in Ukraine is our common credibility, that we are always able to preserve the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of people,” said Macron. “No double standard.”