US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Charts Bold New Path for Indo-Pacific Security at Key Singapore Summit

Pete Hegseth’s Dangerous Call to Arms in Asia

Much like it did in Europe, the Trump administration has called on US allies in the Indo-Pacific to increase military spending to 3.5% of GDP. But a defense buildup on this scale would jeopardize economic growth and regional unity, and could lead Southeast Asian countries to gravitate toward China’s strategic orbit.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Charts Bold New Path for Indo-Pacific Security at Key Singapore Summit

Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a clear message to America’s partners in the Indo-Pacific region: The days of the United States carrying the heavy load for wealthy nations’ defense are over. Hegseth outlined the Trump administration’s vision for a more balanced and sustainable approach to regional security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ annual Shangri-La Dialogue. The comments, given May 29, 2026, were pa…

The Fraying Anchor: Australia’s Alliance Dilemma in a Shifting Asia

The recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore offered a window into the evolving realities of power in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s address struck a notably more measured tone than his previous interventions. Gone were the sharper edges of 2025 rhetoric. In their place emerged a focus on securing a “favourable but durable balance of power,” preventing any single hegemon — implicitly China — from dominating the region. All…