Hegseth, first Pentagon chief in over a decade to omit Taiwan in a ~30-minute Shangri-La Dialogue speech, said “the era of performative outrage is over” and promoted a “strong, quiet and clear” regional policy. He praised US ties with Beijing as “better than they’ve been in many years.” The shift followed Xi’s warning to Donald Trump in Beijing that mishandling Taiwan could cause “clashes” between superpowers. Hegseth still cited “rightful alarm” about China’s military buildup and praised Asian countries for defense spending, but overall tone aimed to reduce friction. He told reporters the Taiwan policy is unchanged except for messaging, urging the US to speak “softly, while carrying a big stick.”
"Hegseth over the weekend became the first Pentagon chief in more than a decade to avoid mentioning Taiwan during a speech that lasted about 30 minutes at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue. He declared "the era of performative outrage is over" while outlining a "strong, quiet and clear" policy toward the region, and hailing ties with Beijing as "better than they've been in many years.""
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