US defence chief Pete Hegseth warns of ‘imminent’ China threat during Shangri-La Dialogue
Hegseth called on US partners and allies to boost defence spending to more than 5 per cent of GDP
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Indo-Pacific defence chiefs against a possibly “imminent” threat posed by China. He made the remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2025. Hegseth appealed to senior officials in the region, saying that Washington “counts on” American allies and partners doing their part by raising their defence spending to 5 per cent of their gross domestic product. In a break from China’s practice since 2019, Beijing did not send its defence minister to the top security summit. However, the meeting was attended by a delegation led by a People’s Liberation Army major general who hit back at Hegseth by calling his remarks “groundless accusations".