U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Indo-Pacific allies to raise their defense spending to 5% of GDP, arguing that rising threats from China demand urgent action. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth said Asian partners should follow the example of NATO countries, claiming that even Germany is now committing to 5%, and warned that alliances cannot be considered “ironclad” if they are seen as “one-sided.” The U.S. itself spent 3.4% of GDP on defense in 2023.

Focusing on “peace through strength,” Hegseth emphasized U.S. forward deployments in the Philippines and joint missile testing with Japan and