The Blubber

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a blunt warning to U.S. partners in Asia on Saturday, describing China as a significant and possibly imminent threat to regional stability.

Speaking for the first time at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth made clear the U.S. view of China’s military rise and its implications for Taiwan. He urged allied nations to boost their own defense budgets, even as he reaffirmed America’s continued commitment to regional security.

“We’re not going to sugarcoat it—the threat from China is real, and it could be just around the corner,” Hegseth said. He cautioned that any military action by China toward Taiwan would have “devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

The remarks came before a full audience of diplomats, defense officials, and business leaders from across Asia. It was the most direct warning from a Trump administration official about the Chinese threat to date. The speech also followed President Trump’s recent address in Saudi Arabia, where he promoted a vision of scaled-back U.S. global military involvement and urged allies to take greater responsibility for their own security.

Vice President JD Vance later echoed this approach, emphasizing a pivot from promoting democratic ideals abroad to fostering pragmatic partnerships grounded in mutual economic and military benefit.

While Hegseth reiterated America’s support for its allies, he also made it clear that Washington expects more from them—especially in a time when the U.S. is refocusing its resources domestically, including a buildup of personnel and assets along the southern border with Mexico.

“Effective deterrence begins at home—at our own borders,” he said. “We’ve deployed troops to the Southwest border and are moving toward total operational control.”

This visit to Singapore was Hegseth’s second to the region since taking office in January. It followed a trip to NATO headquarters, where he criticized European allies for insufficient defense spending—a message he carried over to his meetings in Asia.