Pentagon chief warns of China's military buildup, urges allies to spend more

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Asia to sound the alarm over China's military buildup. He said the rapid expansion is causing concern across the region and urged allied nations to increase their own defense spending to maintain a stable balance of power.

Separately, Hegseth also stated that the United States is prepared to resume military strikes on Iran if diplomatic efforts to reach a deal fail. The comments came during the same security forum, where he emphasized that the US remains capable of military action if necessary.