Photo : YONHAP News
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said states, including China, should not impose their hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of the U.S. and allies in question.
Speaking at IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, Hegseth said there is “rightful alarm” in the Asia-Pacific region regarding China’s military buildup, and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond.
The defense secretary said “a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power.”
Hegseth said the security of the region has rested disproportionately on American military power “for too long,” as he reiterated U.S. call for its allies and partners to increase defense spending to three-point-five percent of their gross domestic product.
He then praised South Korea for agreeing to increase its defense spending and said Seoul’s strong will to retake its wartime operational control from Washington is like a “breath of fresh air.”