US defence chief looks to woo allies in Asian security forum debut

Singapore: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will try to convince Asian defence leaders this weekend that the United States is a more trusted partner for the region than China, US officials told Reuters, as questions linger about the Trump administration's commitment to the region.

Hegseth, who has spent a large portion of his first months on the job focused on domestic issues, countering diversity, equity and inclusion in the military and taking aim at the press, will make his first extended remarks in Singapore on Saturday about how he envisions US defence policy in the Indo-Pacific.

He will be addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, which runs this year from May 31-June 1. Defence ministers, senior military and security officials and diplomats from around the world are expected to attend. French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver the keynote address on Friday.

"Secretary Hegseth is going to make the case to Asian allies about why the United States is a better partner than the CCP," said a senior US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official, who was using an acronym for China's Communist Party, said Hegseth had the opportunity to take advantage of Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun's expected absence from the dialogue, where US and Chinese delegates have locked horns in previous years.

Before departing for Singapore, Hegseth criticised former US President Joe Biden's approach to the region.

" The previous administration talked somewhat about pivots, but all the Biden administration ever showed the world was weakness," he said. "Under this administration we will achieve peace and deterrence through strength (and) that is by working by, with and through allies and partners, specifically in the Indo-Pacific."

Hegseth's speech will be closely watched as it comes after President Donald Trump has lashed out at traditional allies, most recently with tariffs.

Hegseth has also roiled allies in Europe. In February, he warned Europe against treating America like a "sucker" while addressing a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"There's certainly uncertainty being expressed, and sometimes I think it's probably fair to characterize it as a concern," a second senior US defence official said, referring to anxiety among Asian allies.

General Dan Caine, the recently confirmed US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is also expected to attend the dialogue.

Earlier Asia vista

Some of the Trump administration's early moves in the Indo-Pacific have raised eyebrows. The US moved air defence systems from Asia to the Middle East earlier this year as tensions with Iran spiked - an effort which took 73 C-17 flights.

But Hegseth visited the Philippines and Japan in March, a trip in which experts said the secretary stuck by the more traditional importance of allies.

Ely Ratner, who was the Pentagon's top official on China under the Biden administration, said allies in Asia were seeking a consistent policy from Hegseth.

"The region will be watching closely as to whether the US secretary of defence that shows up at Shangri-la looks like the one that travelled to the Philippines and Japan or has more of the harder edge that we've seen from the Trump administration in Europe," said Ratner.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was only narrowly confirmed as defence secretary in January. He has moved with stunning speed to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump's national security agenda.

His leadership has been under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that he shared sensitive war plans on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in two Signal group chats. Trump has stuck by him through the turmoil.

Hegseth will likely get a friendly audience at the Shangri-La Dialogue, said Greg Poling, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.

"Asian allies, and particularly the Philippines, feel a lot more reassured than our European allies, but there's always going to be that voice in the back of their head," Poling said.

Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is co-leading a bi-partisan delegation to the Shangri-la Dialogue, said her aim was to reassure Asian allies that the United States was committed, a message she said Hegseth was not capable of delivering.

"He's only got this job because he sucked up to President Trump and looked good on Fox News. So let's be clear about the capabilities of the secretary of defence," Duckworth told Reuters.