Hegseth is set to meet Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and defence minister Chan Chun Sing to discuss expanding US military asset rotations and enhancing training support for the city-state’s armed forces, according to a senior US defence official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because the schedule isn’t public.
He’ll also hold talks Friday with Vietnam’s top leader To Lam, which are expected to focus on maritime security cooperation and unmanned capabilities, the official said, as Washington and Hanoi continue expanding ties amid a growing Chinese presence in the disputed South China Sea.
Hegseth will also meet counterparts from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and New Zealand during the trip.
The defence chief is expected to use the Shangri-La Dialogue this weekend to reinforce Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy as competition with China intensifies, particularly over Taiwan. US officials are also pressing allies and partners to increase defence spending and strengthen deterrence capabilities, the defence official said.
Hegseth’s meeting with Thailand’s defence minister follows last year’s Kuala Lumpur ceasefire accord between Thailand and Cambodia pushed by President Donald Trump. Discussions are expected to include defence modernisation and industrial cooperation.
In talks with Philippine defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro, he’s expected to discuss expanding US deployments and infrastructure investments following the recently concluded Balikatan military exercises, according to the official.
The Shangri-La appearance follows Trump’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, aimed at stabilising ties between the world’s two largest economies. While Hegseth had a chance to chat with his Chinese counterpart on that trip, Beijing’s top military diplomat will skip the Singapore forum for a second year in a row.
Hegseth is likely to face questions over the status of a potential US$14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. The island’s status remains the most sensitive issue in US-China relations, with Xi warning Trump the issue could lead to clashes that push their relationship into “a highly dangerous situation”.
The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the UK-headquartered International Institute for Strategic Studies, brings together defence ministers, military chiefs and diplomats from across dozens of countries across the world. Vietnamese leader To Lam is set to deliver the keynote address Friday evening.