US Secretary of War Meets with Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing met with United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue this afternoon.

United States (US) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is in Singapore from 29 to 30 May 2026 to attend the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). On the sidelines of SLD, Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing met with Secretary Hegseth over lunch at Shangri-La Hotel this afternoon.

During their meeting, Mr Chan and Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the mutually beneficial and longstanding bilateral defence partnership between Singapore and the US. Mr Chan and Secretary Hegseth exchanged views on global and regional security developments, and discussed how both sides can strengthen defence cooperation.

Mr Chan expressed appreciation for the US’ longstanding support for the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) training in the US, as well as for the SAF’s technology access.

Secretary Hegseth’s visit underscores the strength of the bilateral defence partnership between Singapore and the US. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of Singapore-US diplomatic relations. Secretary Hegseth will speak at a plenary session titled “United States’ Strategy for Peace in the Indo-Pacific” on 30 May 2026 at the 23rd SLD.