Singapore. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to reassure allies on Saturday that Washington remains committed to the Indo-Pacific, while adopting a more measured tone toward China than he did at the same forum a year ago.

Addressing world leaders, diplomats and senior security officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth said the region has “profound implications for US security and prosperity” and remains a top strategic priority for Washington.

“Our goal is to achieve a lasting and favorable balance of power in the Pacific,” he said.

The remarks marked a shift from his speech at last year’s conference, when he angered Beijing by warning of rapidly growing military threats from China, particularly over Taiwan. At the time, he said China was not only building the capability to seize Taiwan but was “actively training for it, every day.”

This year’s gathering comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Following the visit, Trump described Xi as a “great leader” and said the two countries could have a “fantastic future together.”

Hegseth, who accompanied Trump on the trip, said the two leaders had agreed to pursue “a constructive relationship of strategic stability, based on fairness and reciprocity,” while continuing to protect their respective national interests.

Still, he stressed that preventing Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific remains a key US objective.

“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said.

“We share a clear-eyed assessment of that security environment and a mutual understanding that a Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power and undermine the equilibrium we all seek to preserve.”

Questions over US support for Taiwan have intensified after Trump described a proposed $14 billion arms package for the island as “a very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the self-governed island under its control.

The United States is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, although it maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

Hegseth said there had been “no change in our status” toward Taiwan but declined to comment on the pending arms package.

“Any decision about future Taiwan arms sales, as the president said, will rest with him,” he said.

The defense secretary also reiterated the Trump administration’s call for allies to increase military spending, saying the United States needs “partners, not protectorates.”

He praised several Asian countries for strengthening their defense capabilities while taking a swipe at some European allies, whom he said had become distracted by “empty globalist rhetoric about the rules-based international order.”

“Our partners in Asia have long understood that the bedrock of a durable partnership is not based on idealistic values but on the concrete alignment of national interests,” Hegseth said.

“When our interests diverge, we adjust pragmatically, without the drama or the moralizing,” he added. “I think Western Europe might take note — this is a mindset we fully embrace.”

Hegseth did not address either the war in Ukraine or the conflict involving Iran during his speech. Asked about Iran, he said only that Trump had assured him that once negotiations with Tehran conclude, “any deal will be a good deal.”

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