In his opening remarks, Hegseth warned China seeks no less than hegemony over the region and is increasingly willing to resort to force. He cited confrontations in the South China Sea, including incidents in which China's coast guard used water cannon against Philippine vessels, injuring several people last year.

Sean Parnell promised that, under Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon would be “the most transparent in history.”Instead, it's well on its way to being the most opaque.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth was addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, a marquee geopolitical conference in Singapore

The drama of Hegseth’s remarks, though, likely won’t be as intense as it could be, as he’ll be unable to look at China’s defense minister, Dong Jun,

Pete Hegseth left some U.S. allies out to dry when he declared Israel, Poland, and the Gulf and Baltic states as "model allies."

At the Pentagon, personality conflicts persist and inexperience reigns, fueling speculation about Pete Hegseth’s long-term viability in Trump’s Cabinet.