Hegseth says US not trying to change Taiwan status quo or ‘strangle’ China’s growth
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on Dec. 6. © Reuters
KEN MORIYASU
December 7, 2025 08:10 JST
WASHINGTON — U.S. allies who continue to be “free riders,” refuse to spend appropriately on defense and avoid contributions to collective defense, will pay a price, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a speech on Saturday.