Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a noticeably softer tone toward China at a major international security conference in Singapore on Saturday, stepping back from language he used at the same forum just one year ago.
Speaking at the Shangri-La defense conference, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Hegseth told an audience of world leaders, diplomats and senior security officials that Washington's goal was to achieve a lasting and favorable balance of power in the Pacific. He did not repeat his description of China as a direct threat to Taiwan.
"I think our message today was very much in sync with precisely where the president wants to go, which is we're going to be strong, but we can speak softly while carrying that big stick and be very clear about the fact that there are places where we can work together with China," Hegseth told reporters after his remarks. "We respect their ambitions, we know that they have a significant military buildup that comes with considerations we have to take as a sovereign nation to ensure that we're prepared for any possible contingency, and at the same time, our position hasn't changed on Taiwan."
Last year at the same forum, Hegseth was more direct. "We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real," he said then. "And it could be imminent." A Chinese military official responded by calling some of those claims "completely fabricated," according to CBS News.
The change in tone comes roughly two weeks after President Donald Trump visited Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. After that meeting, Trump called Xi a "great leader" and said the two countries were going to have a "fantastic future together." Hegseth was also present for that visit.
Hegseth said at the conference that Trump and Xi had agreed the two countries should "build a constructive relationship of strategic stability, based on fairness and reciprocity, reaffirming that while our nations will vigorously protect our respective interests, we can secure practical, mutually beneficial agreements where our interests align."
He did not abandon concerns about Chinese military expansion entirely. "There is rightful alarm regarding China's historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond," he said from the stage.
The conference also drew Vietnam's top leader, who told Reuters that closer ties with China could benefit regional peace and security. Vietnamese and other regional officials raised concerns about superpower competition and called for responsible commitments from major powers.
