Secretary Pete Hegseth departed Wednesday for Singapore, where he will attend an annual gathering of defense ministers, senior military and diplomats from across the Indo Pacific region.
Speaking briefly to reporters this morning, Hegseth said his goal attending the event was to strengthen US relationships with allies and partners in the region to “achieve peace and deterrence through strength.”
“We’re going out to Singapore to hold a series of meetings to ensure that region understands America will be strong. We seek no conflict with anybody, including the Communist Chinese, but we will deter that,” he said.
“We will stand strong for our interests, and that’s a big part of what this trip is all about,” Hegseth later added.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth awaits the arrival of Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosinak-Kamysz at the Pentagon, May 27, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
It’s Hegseth’s second trip to Asia.
His first visit last March, which included stops in the Philippines and Japan, was overshadowed by revelations that he relied on the commercial messaging Signal app to relay details about a future military attack to other administration officials.
Hegseth has vowed to reorient the US military to prioritize defending the homeland and deterring China from increasing its influence around the world.
–ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
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