Pete Hegseth during his recent, highly acclaimed speech in Singapore.Image: keystone
Pete Hegseth did not mention Taiwan in his recent speech in Singapore. And he didn’t address the Iran war either.
May 30, 2026, 07:04May 30, 2026, 07:04
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized European allies at a major security conference in Singapore and at the same time warned of possible Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific. The USA wanted to prevent a single state from dominating the region and destroying the existing balance of power, said Hegseth at the Shangri-La Dialogue in the Southeast Asian economic metropolis.
The US goal is an order in which “no state, including China, can assert its hegemony.” At the same time, the minister struck a conciliatory tone towards Beijing. Relations between the United States and China are “better than they have been in many years.” The government of US President Donald Trump is striving for “stable peace, fair trade and respectful relations” with Beijing.
Think tank warns of Taiwan conflict
Just two weeks ago, Trump and China’s state and party leader Xi Jinping held direct talks that would have strengthened the basis for a “constructive relationship of strategic stability.” Hegseth did not address the controversial issue of Taiwan, which Beijing repeatedly describes as a “red line” in US-China relations. He also did not go into detail about the conflict in Iran.
Shortly before the forum, the London think tank IISS, which organizes the Shangri-La Dialogue, outlined the consequences of a Taiwan conflict. Given the strategic importance of Taiwan for Beijing, a conflict with China would pose a risk of escalation for the US, possibly leading to a nuclear conflict, the experts wrote. “Even a limited nuclear exchange would be catastrophic for the region,” it said. China’s Defense Ministry considered the report to be unrealistic.
Sharp criticism of Europe
In his speech, Hegseth also attacked European allies in an unusually harsh manner. Asian partners have traditionally taken a pragmatic approach to alliances, he stressed. «When our interests diverge, we adapt pragmatically – without drama or moralizing. I think Western Europe could follow an example.”
Hegseth reiterated the Trump administration’s call for more equitable burden-sharing among allies. “The era in which the United States subsidizes the defense of wealthy nations is over,” he said. The USA needs “partners, not protectors”. Europe has long ignored calls for higher defense spending.
Hegseth: “Less forums, more ships”
At the same time, Hegseth urged allies in Asia to increase defense spending. “We don’t need more conferences, we need more fighting power,” he said. With a view to the forum, he added: “Less Shangri-La, more ships, more submarines.”
At the meeting in Singapore every year, hundreds of ministers, military officials and experts from all over the world discuss current trouble spots and threats. China only sent military experts instead of the defense minister.
(sda/dpa)