Overview
- At the Reagan National Defense Forum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined four lines of effort: defend the homeland, deter China through strength, increase allied burden‑sharing, and supercharge the U.S. defense industrial base.
- Hegseth reaffirmed that Washington does not seek to change the Taiwan status quo and said the approach to Beijing emphasizes deterrence, expanded military‑to‑military communications, and what he called flexible realism.
- He urged allies to sharply raise defense outlays, declaring “No more free rides,” and cited South Korea’s 3.5% target while saying NATO had decided to move to 5% of GDP and that partners who fall short should face consequences.
- Hegseth tied industry reform to China’s rapid buildup, saying the Pentagon is overhauling acquisition and foreign military sales as forum discussion cited estimates that China’s shipbuilding capacity is more than double America’s and produces far more warships.
- A Pentagon official described the remarks as a preview of the National Defense Strategy that is expected later this month.