Hegseth, who was visiting the Philippines, blamed the previous Biden administration for insufficient actions that emboldened aggressors like China over the years. He said the U.S. military was being rebuilt under President Donald Trump and was re-establishing its “warrior ethos” in the region, but did not elaborate.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" commitment to a defence treaty with the Philippines on Friday and pledged to deploy advanced capabilities to its partner to strengthen a deterrence against threats,

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, saying in Manila on Friday that deterrence was needed in the South China Sea due to China's actions.