The Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s biggest defense conference, concluded on Sunday against the backdrop of a deepening U.S.-China rivalry with Washington doubling down on security commitments in the Indo-Pacific.
Making his debut at the forum, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a combative address casting Beijing as the region’s largest threat. China’s defense chief was absent from the annual summit for the first time since 2019, leaving no senior figure to respond directly. But its foreign ministry hit back, calling Hegseth’s remarks “steeped in provocations and instigation.”
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