SINGAPORE -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday pushed Asian allies and partners to raise their military spending to counter "imminent" threats posed by China, but was met with lukewarm responses from Southeast Asian officials.
Assuring that the U.S. will play an active role in the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth called on allies and partners in Asia to look to the example of Europe, where countries are pledging to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense.
