Shangri-La Dialogue 2026: We don't need more conferences, we need more combat power, says Hegseth

“We don't need more conferences. We need more combat power. I'm sorry to say this here. Less Shangri-La, more ships, more subs,” said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, as he asked that US allies and partners “contribute to the shared goal of peace and stability” while making an address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday (May 30). “While many of our allies and partners allowed their own defence capabilities to atrophy, that's a bad deal for the American taxpayer, and it's an unsustainable crutch for our allies and partners,” he said. The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s premier defence summit. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia