“Rightful Alarm In Asia”: Top Trump Aide’s Warning On China Military Build-Up

There is “rightful alarm” in the Pacific over China’s military build-up and the United States seeks a regional balance where no state has unchecked power, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Saturday. “When we look across the region today, there is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military build-up and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth told Asia’s premier defence summit in Singapore. He added that Washington did not seek “needless confrontation in the region”. Hegseth was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which brings together top defence officials and experts from around 45 countries. In…