Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned that Beijing poses a “real and imminent” threat to Taiwan, citing Xi Jinping’s order to be ready for invasion by 2027.
• The United States reaffirmed its long-term Indo-Pacific commitment, declaring its return to the region a strategic priority.
• Hegseth pressed Indo-Pacific allies to rapidly increase defense spending, holding up European NATO members’ 5 percent-of-GDP targets as a model.
• China denounced US warnings as provocative and launched naval and air patrols around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
• Countries such as Japan and the Philippines are fast-tracking military upgrades and deepening security cooperation with Washington.