US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has held talks with some of Washington's partners in the Indo-Pacific, a region where it is trying to counter China's growing influence.
On the sidelines of Asia's annual defence forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Pentagon chief held a trilateral meeting with Japan and Australia, and two bilateral meetings with the Philippines and New Zealand.
Today, I addressed the delegates of the Shangri-La Dialogue.⁰⁰I outlined America's return to realism in the most consequential region in the world: the Pacific.⁰⁰We are moving away from a model of dependency and toward one of true partnership, to preserve a favorable balance… pic.twitter.com/BzHCFKq072
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) May 30, 2026
