U.S. Reaffirms No Change to Taiwan Status Quo as Hegseth Sets China Deterrence Priorities

Overview

• At the Reagan National Defense Forum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth named four missions for the department: defend the homeland, deter China through strength, increase allied burden‑sharing, and supercharge the U.S. defense industrial base.
• He said the Pentagon is expanding direct communication with China’s People’s Liberation Army to reduce risk and avoid misunderstandings.
• Hegseth emphasized that Washington seeks stable relations and fair trade with Beijing and is not trying to strangle China’s growth.
• He pressed allies to contribute more to their own defense, arguing the United States should expect partners to do their part.
• Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te announced a US$40 billion special defense fund and plans to raise defense spending to at least 3% of GDP by 2026 and 5% by 2030.