Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan Gives Speech in Singapore

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan delivered his first major speech overseas, speaking to hundreds of delegates at the 18th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore. He denounced what he called China’s efforts to steal technology from other nations and militarize man-made outposts in the South China Sea, saying such actions are a “toolkit of coercion.” The defense secretary also criticized the Chinese tech company Huawei, saying the smartphone maker is “too close to the government” in regards to data sharing. Lastly, Mr. Shanahan affirmed that the U.S. would remain invested in the Indo-Pacific region, including maintaining a focus on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. close