Hegseth focused his warning on Beijing’s stance toward Taiwan, making the stakes clear for the broader region. “To be clear: any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” he said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he came to Asia’s preeminent security forum to talk “tanks, not tariffs.” But for other leaders, Trump’s trade war was hard to set aside.

China's foreign and defense ministries issued angry statements after Hegseth called the People's Republic a "threat" at a Singapore conference.