What Hegseth’s comments at Shangri-La Dialogue say about US foreign policy

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been discussing key foreign policy issues for Washington at a defence summit in Singapore. On Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth commented on America’s main rival , China, as well as Iran, NATO and Taiwan — a major point of contention between Washington and Beijing. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, t he war has rattled global markets, triggered an energy crisis and caused shortages of critical US munitions, including Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) interceptors, which cost around $12mn each. In a report published on Wednesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said it would take two years — and in some cases more than three — to replenish four critical munitions used heavily during the war. Here are Hegseth’s most important comments. China’s “historic military buildup” Beijing is widely seen as Washington’s greatest geopolitical challenge, and Hegseth expressed alarm about China’s growing military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. “There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said. Washington’s latest National Defense Strategy describes China as the world’s second-most powerful country after the US. …