Pete Hegseth calls on Asia to boost military spending in face of 'imminent' threat from China

The US secretary of defence has called on Asian countries to boost their military spending to increase regional deterrence against China, which was "rehearsing for the real deal" when it comes to taking over Taiwan. Pete Hegseth, addressing the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, reiterated pledges to increase the US presence in the Indo-Pacific and outlined a range of new joint projects, including expanding access to military ship and plane repair, including in Australia. "US allies in the Indo-Pacific can and should upgrade their own defences," Hegseth said. "It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly…