Hegseth Vows US Support for Indo-Pacific Allies, Warns of ‘Imminent’ China Threat

The defense secretary says the United States does not seek conflict with China but will ‘fight and win decisively’ if deterrence fails

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks in the first plenary session entitled “United States’ New Ambitions for Indo-Pacific Security” during the 22nd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on May 31, 2025. Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged on May 31 that the United States would continue to support Indo-Pacific allies in maintaining peace and stability, as he warned of an imminent military threat from China.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth said that China is making credible preparations to use military force to change “the balance of power” in the Indo-Pacific, noting that while nobody knows what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will do in terms of Taiwan and its other neighbors in the Indo-Pacific, “the U.S. and its allies must nonetheless be ready with urgency and vigilance.”