Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore, Hegseth said Washington was pursuing a "strong, quiet and clear" alliance strategy aimed at maintaining a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific while ensuring allies shoulder a larger share of the defense burden.
"The security of this region has rested disproportionately on American military power for too long," Hegseth said, repeating the Trump administration's call for allies and partners to raise defense spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product.
He singled out South Korea for praise, describing Seoul's commitment to higher defense spending and greater operational responsibility as "a breath of fresh air."
The remarks reinforced a message Hegseth delivered earlier this month during talks at the Pentagon with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, where he praised Seoul's efforts to assume greater responsibility for the defense of the Korean Peninsula and cited burden-sharing as the foundation of a resilient alliance.
"As I noted during my visit to Seoul last November, the Republic of Korea's commitment to increase defense spending and your leadership in assuming primary responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula is very important," Hegseth told Ahn during their May 11 meeting.
The Pentagon chief's speech reflected the Trump administration's broader effort to reshape alliance relationships around greater military contributions from partners while concentrating U.S. resources on deterring China.
Hegseth warned that Beijing's military buildup and expanding regional activities were generating "rightful alarm" across the Indo-Pacific.
"What we seek is a favorable but durable balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony," he said. "America is a Pacific nation, and we insist that China respect our longstanding position in the region."
He also emphasized the strategic importance of the so-called First Island Chain stretching from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines, underscoring Washington's continued focus on deterring Chinese military expansion despite recent efforts by President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to stabilize bilateral ties.
South Korea used the summit to present its own vision for regional security.
Defense Minister Ahn, attending the three-day gathering in Singapore, was scheduled to deliver a keynote address titled "Regional Security Challenges and South Korea's Strategic Response," outlining Seoul's defense strategy amid a rapidly evolving security environment.
On the sidelines, Ahn was expected to hold bilateral meetings with congressional delegations from the United States and defense leaders from Japan, Australia, Norway, the Philippines and Thailand to discuss expanding defense cooperation and arms industry partnerships.
The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has become Asia's premier security forum, bringing together defense ministers, military officials and strategic experts from across the Indo-Pacific and Europe. This year's gathering opened amid renewed concerns over Taiwan, the aftermath of the Middle East conflict and questions about the future shape of U.S. security commitments in Asia.
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