Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Asia’s security leaders on Saturday that as Europe takes on more of its own defense, the United States would work more closely with Indo-Pacific allies. Together, he said, they would jointly build more weapons, expand training, and deter China from trying to seize disputed territory, including Taiwan.

“No one should doubt America’s commitment to our Indo-Pacific allies and partners,” Mr. Hegseth said, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum in Singapore. “We will continue to wrap our arms around our friends and find new ways to work together.”

Stronger bonds were needed, he added, saying: “The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent. We hope not, but it certainly could be.”

His comments outlined a familiar strategy. In a world rattled by President Trump’s tariffs and his scorn for Western allies, Mr. Hegseth confirmed that the Indo-Pacific remains a rare exception — a region where the United States favors continuity in security alliances more than disruption.

In terms of actual defense policy, the approach Mr. Hegseth described largely echoed what his predecessor Lloyd J. Austin III laid out last year at the same forum.

Mr. Hegseth spoke about efforts to disperse U.S. forces and abilities more widely through the region, citing the recent move of uncrewed anti-ship missile batteries to the outer islands of the Philippines close to Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its own territory. He also described plans to deepen training with partners from India to Australia, and to do more shared production of weapons, like artillery shells and drones.