The great Indo-Pacific hedge: Deeper defence ties as US doubts grow and China ascends

SINGAPORE – Caught between China’s rapid military rise and growing doubts about the United States’ focus on a region it has long dominated, Indo-Pacific nations are racing to arm themselves – and each other. At Asia’s premier defence forum on May 30, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed regional partners to shoulder more of the security burden. Yet, he faced persistent concerns that US priorities may be drifting, with conflict in Iran competing for attention. “We can ?do two things at one time,” Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a free-wheeling gathering of global defence chiefs, military and intelligence…