Hegseth Stresses Need for Defense Burden-Sharing in Indo-Pacific to Check China

‘For too long, the security of this region has rested disproportionately on American military power,’ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.

U.S. Army Cpl. Jonathan Zyk guides Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during multinational drills at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac, Philippines, on May 17, 2026. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jameson Harris

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on May 30 called for allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region to bolster their armed forces to help counterbalance China’s military expansion.

“When we look across the region today, there is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said in a speech before the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “We share a clear-eyed assessment of that security environment and a mutual understanding that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium we all seek to preserve.”