Remarks by United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth indicate that, while the Pentagon may be withdrawing support for European allies, it remains firmly committed to those in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia.
Speaking at a press conference in Manila on March 28, he promised that the Trump administration would “truly prioritise and shift to this region of the world in a way that is unprecedented.
“Today, it’s the Philippines. Tomorrow, it’s Japan. It will be Australia and South Korea and other nations in this part of the world,” he said.
During meetings with Philippines President Bongbong Marcos and Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Hegseth said they had “agreed on the next steps to reestablish—and that’s key, reestablish—deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Teodoro noted that the Philippines was “merging and meshing ... capabilities together with Australia at a speed which we have not seen in a long, long time.
US for Peace
While Japan has been hit hard by Trump’s tariffs, it remains a key strategic ally, with Hegseth recommitting the approximately 50,000 American troops in that country to participating, along with Philippines forces, in the newly created joint operational command under General Nagumo Kenichiro.
“The broader our alliance, the better. The more security cooperation, the better. The more interoperability, the better. The more contingencies, the better. Again, the more strategic dilemmas for our adversaries, the better,” Hegseth said.
Teodoro was also critical of Beijing’s territorial claims, saying, “The 10 Dash Line speaks loudly of themselves rather than others.
“That’s ... the product of a limited world view; of a closed society. We don’t practice propaganda in this country. We practice free speech and democracy. So the Philippines is not a mouthpiece, unlike they themselves, who are mouthpieces of Xi Jinping,” Teodoro said.
“You know the problem is, you will hear me. The United States will hear me. Filipinos will hear me, but one billion or more Chinese won’t get to hear what I said.”
Hegseth was equally bullish, saying, “There’s a long line of countries in the past who have attempted to test U.S. resolve. We are resolved at this time, at this moment, to work with our partners, to reestablish the warrior ethos, to rebuild our military, and to reestablish deterrence.
“Do not mistake our belief in peace and our desire for peace, for a lack of resolve,” he said. “President Trump seeks peace. That’s my message here as well. But in order to bring that peace, we will be strong. Our allies will know we stand with them.”
He did, however, have a veiled warning for Australia and other allies in the region on the issue of defence spending, saying the U.S. would continue to “encourage our other partners and allies in the region to step up their efforts and their cooperation to increase defence capabilities and strengthen deterrence.”
