United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated this Saturday at the Shangri-La Security Forum 2026, held in Singapore, the Trump Administration's rejection of the current framework of international alliances, while also advocating for his country as an element of "balance" against China's attempts to cement a new hegemony through military reinforcement that, in his opinion, is generating "justified alarmism."
"What we seek, and what the President (Trump) has consistently expressed, is a genuinely stable balance that benefits both Americans and our allies," Hegseth stated in his address at Asia's premier Defense forum. Washington pursues, he reiterated, "a favorable but lasting balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and endanger the security or prosperity" of the United States or its partners.
In this regard, he stressed that "the United States seeks to preserve the conditions that have long sustained peace and prosperity in this region." Ultimately, he argued that his country is "the power that works to maintain the balance, not to disrupt it, it's that simple," at a time when, he warned, "observing the current situation in the region, there is just cause for concern about China's historic military rearmament and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond."
Hegseth took the opportunity to criticize the functioning of the current alliance system, in line with positions expressed on numerous occasions by Trump, considering that allies are not undertaking a defense effort comparable to that of the White House. "You cannot have a strong alliance unless everyone is committed, and we cannot have people who are living off of it," he warned, before lashing out at the format of the meeting itself: "We don't need more conferences. We need more combat power. I'm sorry to have to say it here. Less Shangri-La, more ships, more submarines."
In this context, the head of the Pentagon declared "the era in which the United States subsidizes the defense of rich nations" to be over and emphasized that Washington's goal is to have "partners, not protectorates: we seek alliances based on shared responsibility, not dependence."
CRITICISM OF CHINA, BUT WITH A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
After addressing the increased Chinese military presence in the area, Hegseth has adopted a more constructive tone when referring to the link between Washington and Beijing in broader terms, which he presented as an example of "constructive strategic stability."
The Secretary of Defense also highlighted the relevance of "interpersonal diplomacy" between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping following their meeting earlier this month in Beijing, although in his prepared speech he avoided any mention of Taiwan, the main focus of tension between the two powers.
"The Asian perspective on the United States has been, by default, clearer and much more pragmatic than in other regions," he stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue. "Our partners in Asia have long understood that the basis of a lasting partnership lies not in idealistic values, but in the concrete alignment of national interests," he added.
Hegseth also dedicated praise to his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Dong Jun, who was absent from the forum for the second consecutive year. "I wish my counterpart were here at this conference," he declared on Saturday. "But I hope other opportunities arise for us to meet and communicate."