Hegseth praises India’s militarypraises India’s military build-up at Shangri-La Dialogue
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India as powerful and modernising its military at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30.
He also said Washington wants co-production with India and backed Donald Trump’s claim that he helped secure a India-Pakistan ceasefire, underscoring how the U.S. sees India as central to its Indo-Pacific strategy.
The remarks matter because they signal deeper defense ties with India while tying those ties to regional balance and the rivalry with China.
U.S. Perspective
Hegseth cast India as an important security partner and said stronger Indian power supports a balance in Asia. He also framed co-production and defense industry links as part of a wider Indo-Pacific strategy.
Indian Perspective
The comments are likely to be read in India as recognition of its expanding military and industrial base. They also intersect with New Delhi’s effort to widen defense partnerships while keeping strategic autonomy.
Regional Strategy Perspective
By linking India to regional balance and mentioning China, Washington signaled that its Indo-Pacific policy remains centered on deterrence and partnership. The ceasefire remark also shows how India-Pakistan tensions continue to shape broader security diplomacy.
- Singapore has hosted the Shangri-La Dialogue since 2002.
- India is one of the world’s largest arms importers, but it has also pushed to expand domestic defense manufacturing.
- The Indo-Pacific concept became far more prominent after Asian trade and naval competition intensified in the 2010s.
US-China Indo-Pacific Rivalry
China and Taiwan coast guard vessels have repeatedly faced off near the Pratas Islands, with the latest standoff showing how small maritime incidents around Taiwan can quickly become confrontations.[1][5] The episode adds to wider U.S.-China military tension across the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding patrols and Washington is reinforcing regional deterrence.[2][3] The rivalry now centers on preventing miscalculation around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and nearby sea lanes.[1][3][5] It also shapes defense planning by Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as all sides weigh coercion, sovereignty claims, and the risk of escalation.[2][3]
24 May, 07:39 AM
Taiwan and China coast guards face off near Pratas islands1 January
The United States adopts a sharper great-power competition strategy focused on China
