Published on 5/30/2026
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Last update: 17:54 (Mecca time)
The United States is monitoring China’s military movement in the Pacific Ocean and the Asian region in general, with concern that is more than reserved in light of reports of Beijing’s military ambitions that go beyond merely ensuring balance and deterrence.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at the opening of the Asian Defense Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore, on Saturday, that the ongoing Chinese military buildup in that region for decades raises “legitimate concerns.”
Rapid Chinese military development
China’s rapid military development and Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region, along with growing concerns about American priorities, are the top issues at the summit, which attracts leaders, senior diplomats and security officials from around the world.
“Looking at the region today (we see) that there is legitimate cause for concern about China’s military buildup and the extent of the expansion of its military activities inside and outside the region,” Hegseth said, adding that Washington does not seek “unnecessary confrontation in the region.”
Hegseth is participating for the second time in the summit. In last year’s edition, he angered Beijing by saying that “the threat it poses is real, and may be imminent,” and that its army is “training for the real thing.”
He said that Washington will strengthen its defenses to confront what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats, especially in China’s offensive stance towards Taiwan.
The US Secretary of War’s speech comes at a time when reports this week indicated the expansion of the Chinese military industry, including the construction of facilities believed to be intended for the Chinese nuclear arsenal, as China possesses nuclear missiles that are already capable of reaching any city in the United States.
Isolated facilities
Satellite images, according to what Reuters reported, showed that Beijing is building a sprawling network of launch pads, bunkers and communication points near isolated nuclear silos that contain the Chinese army’s longer-range missiles.
The images reveal more than 80 platforms that could be used by China’s growing fleet of mobile missile launchers and air defense batteries. Three security analysts who evaluated the images said they also show facilities that may be used for electronic warfare, satellite communications and command operations.
The scale of construction, which has not been previously reported, indicates a significant expansion of hardened infrastructure designed to protect and operate China’s land-based nuclear forces.
Overall, this network indicates significant progress in Beijing’s efforts to ensure the ability to launch a second strike, confirming the intensification of the nuclear competition with the United States as tensions escalate between the two countries over issues such as Taiwan.
While the People’s Liberation Army is capable of launching nuclear weapons from submarines and aircraft, the silo fields in the northwestern region of Xinjiang and Gansu province form the cornerstone of China’s nuclear forces.
This month, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his American counterpart, Donald Trump, that mismanaging the differences between their two countries over Taiwan, which Beijing considers its own, could lead them to a dangerous situation.
Move near Taiwan
During this week, the Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan said that it had monitored 10 military aircraft, 8 warships, and 4 official ships belonging to China, on Thursday and Friday.
The ten aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait in the northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan deployed aircraft, warships, and coastal missile systems to monitor PLA activity.
In total, since the beginning of this month, the Ministry of National Defense has monitored 257 Chinese military aircraft and 221 ships.
The US Secretary of War said at the forum that the United States seeks to achieve a “stable balance” in Asia, adding that no country, “including China,” should impose absolute hegemony over the region.
He explained in his speech, “What we seek (…) is a stable balance that serves the interests of the Americans and our allies alike. A positive and permanent balance of power in which no country, including China, can impose its hegemony or threaten the security and prosperity of our nation and our allies.”
However, Hegseth praised the improvement in relations between the United States and China with the administration of President Donald Trump compared to what they were for many years.
He said that President Trump and his administration seek to achieve stable peace, fair trade and respectful relations with China.
Defense spending pressures
The US Secretary of War also renewed his call to the US allies in NATO and Europe to raise their defense spending, warning that countries that do not commit to higher levels of contribution will face a clear change in the nature of Washington’s dealings with them.
Hegseth said during his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue Forum in Singapore that previous calls to increase spending did not receive a sufficient response, considering that some allies have only recently begun to keep pace with collective security requirements.
The US Minister pointed out that the commitment declared within NATO to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP still faces challenges in implementation in a number of countries.
Hegseth considered that the continuation of what he described as the phenomenon of excessive reliance on American military capabilities weakens the effectiveness of the alliance, stressing that it is not possible to accept what he called “free riding” in the joint defense system.
