The U.S. Defense Secretary expressed concern over China's military buildup, urging Asian leaders to boost their own defense spending. Despite the warning, he adopted a more moderate tone regarding broader U.S.-China relations.

The U.S. defense secretary said there is "rightful alarm" of China's military build up. But he also struck a more moderate tone on U.S.-China relations – and notably sidestepped bringing up Taiwan. <img alt="U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth waits to deliver his speech at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on Saturday." src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7025x4684+0+0/resize/7025x4684!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F62%2Ff0%2Fee...