The head of the Pentagon said on Saturday in Singapore that there was “reason for legitimate alarm” in the Asia-Pacific in the face of the continued strengthening of the Chinese army.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Singapore on Saturday that there was “What to be legitimately alarmed about” in Asia-Pacific with regard to China’s strengthening of its army, which has been constant for several decades.
“Looking at the region today, there is reason to be legitimately alarmed by the historic scale of China’s military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond.”declared Mr. Hegseth during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major forum devoted to defense issues. The United States does not want “Unnecessary confrontation in the region”he nevertheless emphasized in his speech, delivered in front of an audience of military experts and ministers.
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The Shangri-La Dialogue brings together for three days and until Sunday senior political and military officials, as well as experts and researchers from around 45 countries. This annual forum alternates speeches, round tables and private interviews within the framework of the luxurious Shangri-La hotel. An environment conducive to discussions, even between rival countries, whether in public sessions or in the privacy of cozy lounges, away from microphones.
“No state, including China, can impose its hegemony”
“What we are looking for (…) is truly a stable balance, which works both for the Americans and for our allies”said Pete Hegseth. “A favorable but lasting balance of power, in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony or threaten the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies”indicated Pete Hegseth, at the head of an imposing American delegation.
But China, which Washington considers its great rival, has for the second year in a row dispatched a simple team of military experts and researchers, without sending its Defense Minister, Dong Jun.
