Hegseth Greets ASEAN Counterparts at Defense Summit as China Opts Out

‘The United States is committed to working with our allies and partners to deter aggression by communist China in the Indo-Pacific,’ the defense secretary said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) shakes hands with Philippines' Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro (R) before a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue Summit in Singapore on May 30, 2025. Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in Singapore on May 30, greeting his counterparts from Southeast Asian nations ahead of a defense summit for which China has opted not to send its defense minister this year.

Hegseth is attending the Shangri-la Dialogue, where he said he will “ensure that [the Indo-Pacific] region understands America will be strong” amid rising influence from the Chinese communist regime.