At the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asia-Pacific nations to boost defence spending, portraying the Chinese mainland as an emerging threat and vowing to make the region a priority theatre for Washington.
His speech highlights a widening gap between the U.S. push for stronger bilateral security ties and mini-lateral alliances such as the Quad and AUKUS, and the Chinese mainland's call for multilateral cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
On Sunday, the Chinese mainland's Foreign Ministry responded by urging the U.S. to fully respect regional efforts to maintain peace and stability and to stop deliberately undermining the security environment cherished by Asia-Pacific countries.
In recent years, Washington has sought to rebuild its so-called hub-and-spoke model of security partnerships, inviting ASEAN defense ministers to align under U.S. leadership while warning of a growing Chinese diplomatic and military influence. Critics say this military-centred approach risks stoking regional tensions rather than defusing them.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's expansionist plans and threats of unilateral tariffs have further unsettled America's neighbours, casting doubt on U.S. claims to share a vision of peace, stability and prosperity across the Asia-Pacific.
As defence budgets rise and strategic blocs crystallize, a key question emerges for young global citizens, entrepreneurs and changemakers: who truly poses the real and imminent threat to Asia-Pacific stability?
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
