Hegseth Warns Of China’s Military Buildup, Signals Implications For India

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States has issued a sharp warning over China’s accelerating military expansion, calling Beijing’s defense buildup “historic” and stressing the need to urgently strengthen America’s defense industrial base, marking a shift with clear implications for India’s Indo-Pacific calculus.

At the Reagan National Defense Forum, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Washington is “well aware” of China’s rapid naval growth, expanding nuclear arsenal and deepening military ties with Russia. The moderator noted that China now fields the world’s largest navy and is modernizing at a pace far outstripping the US, with a shipbuilding capacity “230% greater” than America’s.

Responding, the Secretary said the US must move faster and reform internally. “The most important thing we can do is increase our urgency to rebuild our defense industrial base. We don’t have time,” he said, adding that the Trump Administration has undertaken a sweeping acquisitions and foreign military sales overhaul.

He said the goal was to “field the best as quickly as possible,” emphasizing prudence and decisiveness in confronting China’s rise.

For India, the remarks align with New Delhi’s long-standing concerns over China’s expanding naval presence, militarization of the South China Sea and growing cooperation with Pakistan. Enhanced US preparedness supports India’s own maritime strategy, including Quad coordination, surveillance cooperation and investments in carriers, submarines and unmanned systems.

He also highlighted US counterterrorism and counter-narcotics actions, insisting operations follow strict legal protocols. (IANS)