Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s “historic military buildup” and warned that a Pacific dominated by a hegemon would disrupt regional power balance. He said U.S.-China relations are “better than they've been in many years” while expressing “rightful alarm” about China’s military activities. His remarks came shortly after Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, which both sides called a success. Hegseth did not mention Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue, despite criticizing China’s harassment of Taiwan in 2025. After Trump’s comments that arms sales to Taiwan were a “very good negotiating chip,” a senior U.S. official said arms sales to Taiwan were paused due to the war in Iran, leaving regional audiences seeking clarity.
#us-china-relations #asia-pacific-defense-spending #china-military-buildup #taiwan-security #shangri-la-dialogue
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