Defense Secretary Pete Bow his muscles in a training with American troops in the Philippines when he identified China as a threat and called for deterrence.
“There is a long line of countries that have tried to test us in the past,” Hegseeth added. “We are currently resolved … to work with our partners.”
“Descendancy is necessary all over the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, given the threats of the communist Chinese,” he said.
Hegseeth, who is on a tour of the region that will also bring him to the Japan, called to combine allies to combat the Chinese expansionist threats – while trying to remember the budding scandal about the chat of the administration group where he shared information about an imminent attack on the Houthis in Yemen.
“What we are dealing with now is many years of deferred maintenance, of weakness, that we have to restore strength and deterrence in several places around the world,” Hegseeth said in response to a question about a question whether the US would place a more visible presence in the South Chinese Sea.
He called for 'peace through strength', say 'is a very real thing.'
His tough lecture came on a trip where he did pushups on Tuesday and Jacks with navy seals on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam unveiled on Tuesday and a new tattoo.
But he wiped a question aside about whether he was responsible for what happened in the group cat.
By pushing controversy: Minister of Defense Pete Hegseeth, a question about the signal scandal on a trip to the Philippines, where there are difficult words to scare China off
'I am responsible to ensure that our department is prepared and is ready to scare and defeat our enemies. I am quite proud – quite proud – what our forces and centcom did on that first series very effective and devastating strikes, “he said.
He said it is his job to work with fellow cabinet members and to ensure that “we operationalize in every possible way.” It was his only reference to the security team chat, where he shared information about weapon systems used against the Houthis.
Hegseeth met Filipino President Bongbong Marcos, held a press conference with the Filipino Minister of Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. And looked at an honorary guard at the Filipino Staff Chef Romeo Brawner Jr.
He previously told Marcos that deterrence was especially necessary in the Indo-Pacific region 'Given the threats of the Communist Chinese'.
A new report from American intelligence services this week identified China as the most important threat to the country.
Minister of Defense Pete Hegseeth (L) and Filipino Minister of Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (R), Hand shakes during a joint press conference where Hegseeth spoke about the China threat
Minister of Defense Pete Hegseeth visits the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines, March 28, 2025. The journey will also bring him to Japan
Hegseeth followed the signal scandal on the journey, while the legislators of his own party are looking for a watch dog round
'China's army is advanced capacities, including hypersonic weapons, stealth aircraft, advanced submarines, stronger space and cyber warfare assets and a larger arsenal of nuclear weapons,' director of the National Intelligence Service Tulsi Gabbard told legislation this week.
“China almost certainly has a versatile strategy at the national level that is designed to move the United States as the world's most influential AI power by 2030,” she said.
China claims almost the entire South Chinese Sea and has warned about 'interference of external countries', setting up a collision with American allies demanding freedom of navigation.
To prevent the movements, “Friends should be shoulder to shoulder to scare up conflicts, to ensure that there is a free navigation, whether you call it the South Chinese Sea or the West -Philippine Sea,” Hegseeth told Marcos.
The journey of Hegseeth coincides with the growing pressure of legislators about the group scandal of the group.
A federal judge ordered the participants on the chat who accidentally include journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to retain their texts. Sen. Kevin Cramer (RN.D.) warned in comments on the hill: 'I don't know how many strikes you get. In baseball you get three. Maybe this is worth two, “he added.” If these types of mistakes continue to happen, we will deal with them as it happens. My hope and my expectation is that it won't. '
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) Written the acting inspector general of the Pentagon about a probe.
“Recognition that America for the 21st century to be a free century, should be the shoulder next to our allies and partners.”
It's not going to happen. It was a casual matter – Bondi for Fox
