SINGAPORE: Caught between China's rapid military rise and growing doubts about the U.S. focus on a region it has long dominated, Indo-Pacific nations are racing to arm themselves, and each other.
At Asia's premier defence forum on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed regional partners to shoulder more of the security burden. Yet, he faced persistent concerns that U.S. priorities may be drifting, with conflict in Iran competing for attention.
