In a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue Saturday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that “the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent.”
China is actively training to retake Taiwan, he said, noting that an invasion would “result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world.”
To ensure peace in the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth said that the U.S. would strengthen its forces in the region, and called on American allies there to increase defense spending to 5 percent of their GDP. He also said that European countries should focus their defense build-ups on protecting Europe, rather than attempting to contribute to the defense of the Pacific.
The defense secretary also criticized Chinese economic diplomacy and cautioned countries against the temptation of seeking investment or additional trade from the country. “Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence,” he said.
Hegseth specifically called out Chinese attempts to increase its influence in Latin America, including over the Panama Canal, a vital region for American national security.
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