Declaring the era of American defence subsidies for wealthy nations over, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth used the Shangri-La Dialogue to demand that Indo-Pacific allies raise military spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. “We require partners, not protectorates,” he said, crystallising the Trump administration’s transactional turn, and warned that those failing to contribute would face a fundamental rethink of bilateral ties. Australia was praised for stepping up; India lauded as a powerful, modernising anchor in South Asia; and Japan described as heading in the right direction, though “not at the finish line yet.” The message, viewed from Tokyo and Canberra, lands heavily on capitals already under domestic fiscal strain.

Hegseth walked a fine line on China, acknowledging a “rightful alarm” over Beijing’s historic military accumulation but avoiding the word ‘threat’ — a marked softening from last year. Analysts detected the imprint of the recent Trump-Xi summit, which both sides cast as a reset. He made no mention of Taiwan in his formal address, yet later insisted that US arms sales had not been paused because of the Iran conflict. The goal, he said, was a stable Pacific balance of power, pursued without “needless confrontation,” in which no state, including China, can impose hegemony.

On the sidelines, the pressure for greater self-reliance produced concrete results. US and Japanese defence chiefs agreed to accelerate joint production of advanced missiles. India’s heavy industrial capacity to sustain high-end operations drew fresh praise, alongside nascent co-production agreements. But Southeast Asian delegations privately questioned the feasibility of the 3.5 percent benchmark, a tension that London-based analysts judge Washington has yet to resolve.

Hegseth also sought to reassure that the Pentagon’s concurrent military campaign against Iran was not distracting from its Asian commitments. He even floated the prospect of a diplomatic deal — “any deal with Iran would be a good deal” — and thanked Pakistan for mediation. For many in Singapore, the juxtaposition of demands for greater self-reliance with assurances of continued American commitment proved uneasy. The lingering question, viewed from the region’s defence establishments, is whether a network of well-armed, self-sufficient allies can be forged before China’s growing assertiveness renders the debate academic.