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Secretary Pete Hegseth left on Wednesday for Singapore, where he will attend an annual gathering of ministers of defense, soldiers and higher diplomats from the whole of the Indo-Pacific region.
Briefly speaking to journalists this morning, Hegseth said that his objective attending the event was to strengthen American relations with allies and partners in the region to “reach peace and deterrence thanks to force”.
“We go out in Singapore to hold a series of meetings to ensure that the region understands that America will be strong. We are not looking for any conflict with anyone, including the Communist Chinese, but we will dissuade this,” he said.
“We will be solid for our interests, and this is a large part of what this trip is,” added Hegseth later.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth is awaiting the arrival of the Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosinak-Kamysz in Pentagon, May 27, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Jim Lo Scalzo / Epa-Efe / Shutterstock
This is Hegseth’s second trip to Asia.
His first visit last March, which included stops in the Philippines and Japan, was overshadowed by revelations he had on the commercial messaging signaling application to relay details on a future military attack to other administration officials.
Hegseth promised to redirect the American army to prioritize the defense of the fatherland and dissuade China from increasing its influence in the world.
– ABC News’ Anne Flaherty
