Hegseth tones down warnings about China in visit to region

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toned down previous rhetoric calling China a threat in a visit to Singapore on Saturday, but told allies the region "has profound implications for U.S. security and prosperity." As the U.S. has done for decades, Hegseth tried to straddle the line between not angering Chinese leaders and still not ostracizing Taiwan. Unlike last year, Hegseth said the U.S. respects China's ambitions in the region. "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 from the stage. "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." Speaking to a group of world leaders, diplomats and top security officials at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, Hegseth said Washington's priority was to "achieve a lasting and favorable balance of power in the Pacific." It was his second time addressing the forum, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. …