When pressed on the thorny matter, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a quick zinger. He was here at Asia’s preeminent security forum to talk “tanks, not tariffs.” Concerns over the White House’s protectionism and its impacts on a region knitted together by trade were,

At an international forum in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is refocusing its strength and policies on deterring China, and coaxed China's neighbors and U.S. allies to help.