Caught between China's rapid military rise and growing doubts about the U.S. focus on a region it has long dominated, Indo-Pacific nations are racing to arm themselves, ‌and each other.

At Asia's premier defense forum on Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed regional partners to shoulder more of the security burden. Yet, he faced persistent concerns that U.S. priorities may be drifting, with conflict in Iran competing for attention.

"We can do two things ‌at one time," Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a free-wheeling gathering of ⁠global defence chiefs, military and intelligence officials.

His Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi said he believed the ⁠U.S. commitment was "unwavering", while ⁠acknowledging that some countries may still underestimate its resolve.

In interviews with Reuters on the sidelines of the annual gathering, ‌regional defense chiefs and military officers made clear the push was on to do more with each other beyond the........

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