U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Summary

Hegseth set to make debut at Asia’s premier defence forum
Allies concerned about United States’ commitment
Questions linger about Hegseth on the global stage

SINGAPORE, May 29 (Reuters) – U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will try to convince Asian defence leaders this weekend that the United States is a more trusted partner for the region than China, U.S. officials told Reuters, as questions linger about the Trump administration’s commitment to the region.
Hegseth, who has spent a large portion of his first months on the job focused on domestic issues, countering diversity, equity and inclusion in the military and taking aim at the press, will make his first extended remarks in Singapore on Saturday about how he envisions U.S. defence policy in the Indo-Pacific.
He will be addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier security forum, which runs this year from May 31-June 1. Defence ministers, senior military and security officials and diplomats from around the world are expected to attend. French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver the keynote address on Friday.
“Secretary Hegseth is going to make the case to Asian allies about why the United States is a better partner than the CCP,” said a senior U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official, who was using an acronym for China’s Communist Party, said Hegseth had the opportunity to take advantage of Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun’s expected absence from the dialogue, where U.S. and Chinese delegates have locked horns in previous years.

Before departing for Singapore, Hegseth criticised former U.S. President Joe Biden’s approach to the region.
” The previous administration talked somewhat about pivots, but all the Biden administration ever showed the world was weakness,” he said. “Under this administration we will achieve peace and deterrence through strength (and) that is by working by, with and through allies and partners, specifically in the Indo-Pacific.”
Hegseth’s speech will be closely watched as it comes after President Donald Trump has lashed out at traditional allies, most recently with tariffs.
Hegseth has also roiled allies in Europe. In February, he warned Europe against treating America like a “sucker” while addressing a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“There’s certainly uncertainty being expressed, and sometimes I think it’s probably fair to characterize it as a concern,” a second senior U.S. defence official said, referring to anxiety among Asian allies.

General Dan Caine, the recently confirmed U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also expected to attend the dialogue.

EARLIER ASIA VISITS

Some of the Trump administration’s early moves in the Indo-Pacific have raised eyebrows. The U.S. moved air defence systems from Asia to the Middle East earlier this year as tensions with Iran spiked – an effort which took 73 C-17 flights.
But Hegseth visited the Philippines and Japan in March, a trip in which experts said the secretary stuck by the more traditional importance of allies.
Ely Ratner, who was the Pentagon’s top official on China under the Biden administration, said allies in Asia were seeking a consistent policy from Hegseth.
“The region will be watching closely as to whether the U.S. secretary of defence that shows up at Shangri-la looks like the one that travelled to the Philippines and Japan or has more of the harder edge that we’ve seen from the Trump administration in Europe,” said Ratner.