Overview

• He warned that China’s People’s Liberation Army is training daily for a potential invasion of Taiwan and aims to be capable of taking the island by force by 2027.
• Hegseth pledged to reinforce U.S. military posture in the Indo-Pacific, noting past redeployments of Patriot missiles to the Middle East and Coast Guard ships to the U.S.–Mexico border now under review.
• He urged regional partners to emulate NATO by allocating up to 5% of GDP to defense, stressing that effective deterrence «doesn’t come on the cheap.»
• Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said Canberra is willing to discuss boosting its defense spending above the planned 2.33% of GDP target for 2033-34.
• China sent only a lower-level National Defense University delegation after its defense minister’s no-show, with Beijing dismissing U.S. warnings as «fabricated.»