Pete Hegseth praises Australia for ‘stepping up’ as US shifts tone on China
Beijing: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected claims that arms sales to Taiwan were halted because of the Iran war, praising Australia for “stepping up” while chastising allies for not spending enough on their own defence.
At the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s largest defense summit, Hegseth gave a less harsh speech than last year, saying relations with China were better than they have been in years; This reflects a broader shift in the Trump administration’s tone toward Beijing.
He scolded his “free rider” allies, who he said were not carrying their share of the burden by investing enough in their own defense, but in targeting Europe he singled out Australia, along with other Asian partners such as South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
“Australia is stepping up. Together, we are expanding the rotational presence of US forces and cooperating to ensure our defense industrial bases can build and sustain the weapons needed for high-end warfare,” Hegseth told the room of senior defense officials, diplomats and politicians.
“We appreciate Australia’s investment in real combat power and its commitment to deeper integration with the US joint force in Southeast Asia.”
His comments will be welcomed by the Albanian government, which has pledged to invest an extra $53 billion in defense over the next decade; This still falls short of Hegseth’s call for Australia to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP.
Hegseth did not mention Taiwan or Iran in his speech, only discussing them in response to questions in the Q&A. Regarding Iran, he said that while negotiations with Tehran continue, “any agreement will be a good agreement” and that the United States is ready to restart attacks if an agreement cannot be reached.
He said there has been no change in US policy towards Taiwan and that no connection should be made between US arms stockpiles and the Iran war. But Trump’s remarks will likely do little to ease anxiety in Taiwan over his continued commitment to help the democratic island defend itself, pending a decision to approve an estimated $14 billion ($19.5 billion) arms package.
“On Taiwan arms sales, I would largely separate the two and our stockpiles, both in how we use them and we feel very good about Epic Fury at this historic moment,” Hegseth said, referring to the U.S. military operation in Iran.
“As the president has said, any decisions regarding arms sales to Taiwan will be his own.”
On the other hand, Minister of Defense Richard Marles drew attention to Taiwan in his speech and pointed out that there were five separate cases of seabed cable damage on the island in 2025. Taipei regularly accuses China-bound ships of maritime cable sabotage, which Beijing denies.
Without directly blaming China, Marles said the seabed had “turned into a battlefield” and called on Beijing to commit to transparency in its naval operations.
“Current patterns of gray zone activity are not consistent with a peaceful and stable regional order,” he said on Saturday.
Speculation about Taiwan’s arms sales increased after Trump said he had discussed them in recent meetings in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who wants the US to scale back or delay the arms package, and that he had not ruled out using force to seize control of the island.
Trump later described the arms sales as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao cast further suspicion at a congressional hearing on May 21 when he said the package was being paused “to make sure we have the ammunition we need for Epic Fury”; It was a claim that Hegseth outright denied on Saturday.
Under US law, Washington is required to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. White House officials have suggested that Trump has approved more weapons for Taiwan than any other president, including an $11 billion package last year.
Hegseth took a more combative tone toward China in his 2025 speech, declaring that the United States was refocusing on deterring Beijing’s growing military might and warning that it would “fight decisively and win” if it attempted a conflict over Taiwan.
On Saturday, Hegseth suggested the United States would seek to secure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific by being “strong, quiet and clear” while wielding a “big stick.”
He noted there was “rightful alarm” in the region about China’s military build-up and insisted that “China respect our longstanding position in the region”.
Rory Medcalf, president of the Australian National University’s National Security College, said the shift in rhetoric was a noticeable departure from the past.
“Something has clearly changed on China: This was perhaps the least confrontational speech by a US administration in the 23-year history of the Shangri-La Dialogue,” Medcalf, who attended the conference, said.
“Of course, Secretary Hegseth called for securing peace by preparing for war in the First Island Chain, which includes Taiwan. But he also praised the recent Trump-Xi summit and placed great emphasis on US-China relations.
“The biggest uncertainty is whether all of this reflects strength or fragility in the U.S. negotiating position.”
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Lisa Visentin is the North Asia correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Beijing. He was previously a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
