US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 on Saturday that mutual respect and communication between the United States and China are essential for maintaining regional and global peace.

The three-day event, Asia’s premier defence and security summit, opened on Friday in Singapore amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The event, which is focused on key security challenges facing the region, is expected to bring together more than 550 delegates from over 40 countries and regions.

Hegseth noted that the leaders of the United States and China have reached an important consensus on building constructive relations of strategic stability. The US side supports strengthening communication and interaction between the two countries’ armed forces and enhancing mutual understanding through frank exchanges.

Establishing an effective communication framework helps maintain global peace and stability, he said.

“I think there is mutual respect, recognition of the potential of major powers and how that potential can be most effectively used in the modern world. I want to assure this audience that both powers do indeed possess this potential, it is substantial and of great significance for the history of peace in the region and around the world,” Hegseth said.