Hegseth Outlines U.S. Vision For Indo-Pacific at Annual Asia Defense Summit

During remarks today at the annual International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed the strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific region, as it relates to the new National Defense Strategy.

"We are charting a new course for our alliances and partnerships: one that is grounded in the realities of power and interests. It is a course that will leave America stronger, our allies and partners more capable, and the Pacific region more stable and secure," Hegseth said near the top of his remarks.

During the 25-minute speech, the secretary outlined a strategy that embraces "true partnership" through the empowerment of partner and ally nations throughout the region, while at the same time, moving away from reliance on the United States.

"The era of the United States subsidizing the defense of wealthy nations is over. We need partners, not protectorates. We seek alliances built on shared responsibility, not dependency," Hegseth said.

He added that such a strategy is the "maturation of alliances in a new era," which will put those alliances on a sustainable footing to ensure fitness for the challenges of the future.

Stating that the Indo-Pacific region has profound implications regarding U.S. security and prosperity, Hegseth next addressed concerns about China's historic military build-up and expansion of military activities both in the region and beyond it.

"This alignment is based on a clear-eyed assessment of the security environment. And a mutual understanding that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium we all seek to preserve," he said.

To prevent such an eventuality, Hegseth said the War Department is approaching the challenge not with confrontation, but with a strong, quiet and clear posture of measured and deliberate strength.

"What we seek - and what [President Donald J. Trump] has consistently articulated -is a genuinely stable equilibrium that works for Americans as well as for our allies. A favorable, but durable, balance of power in which no state - including China - can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question," Hegseth explained.

He noted that the United States seeks to preserve the conditions that have long underwritten peace and prosperity in the region.

"We are the power working to sustain equilibrium, not disrupt it, plain and simple," he said.

Hegseth further stated that, while recent discussions with the Chinese government have helped to reinforce a foundation for stable peace, fair trade and respectful relations between the two countries, it is his and the War Department's job to provide military strength to support the president's visionary and realistic diplomacy.

"While a decent peace is our goal, make no mistake: America is a Pacific nation, and we insist that China respect our longstanding position in this region. And not just insist, but maintain, the manifest military strength to underwrite it," Hegseth said.

To maintain peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific region, Hegseth explained that the U.S. will no longer rely on "performative outrage" from politicians who signal virtue but fail to protect capabilities.

Rather, the U.S. military will lead first and foremost through actions, rather than words.

"We will prioritize lethal capabilities, strategic discipline and businesslike cooperation over empty rhetoric and peacocking. Any potential opponent will be forced to judge us by our hard power, collective readiness and our steadfast resolve," he said, adding that the U.S. military posture in the Pacific region will be resilient, distributed and optimized to deny quick and decisive gains through military force.

"This is the logic of strategy, this is the essence of peace through strength, and this is the foundation of a durable peace in the Pacific that benefits all of us," Hegseth said, adding, "We all benefit from this policy, because our quiet, but clear, strength will lead to stability and peace."

The secretary then circled back to the National Defense Strategy and the theme of partnership over dependency, emphasizing its call to increase burden-sharing with U.S. allies and partners while empowering them to contribute toward collective defense among all friendly nations.

He noted that Trump has been crystal clear from Day 1 that alliances only work when they are true partnerships.

"It's a two-way street [and] you don't have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game," Hegseth explained.

He praised several allied countries throughout the Indo-Pacific.

"In this region, I am optimistic that our allies - driven by our shared national interests and the unprecedented threat environment - will step up and step up for real. In fact, we're already seeing progress," he said.

He highlighted defense commitments that nine countries have committed to, including: South Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and India.

"This kind of shared industrial muscle isn't just a long-term goal; it is an immediate, operational imperative," he said, while issuing the caveat that "Allies who refuse to step up and carry their own weight for our collective defense will face a clear shift in how we do business."

The secretary wrapped his remarks by underscoring his appeal to partners and allies to invest in their own defense and security, as well as work with the U.S. to advance shared interests.

"Join us in embracing this vision in building a team of strong, self-reliant nations [that are] fully capable of defending their own sovereignty, while contributing to our collective security in preserving the favorable balance of power that benefits us all," he said, adding, "That time is now; the challenges we face are real, but so is the opportunity before us. We must meet that moment, and may Almighty God bless all of our troops in harm's way."