The House Appropriations Committee advanced its $1.1 trillion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2027 on Wednesday, voting along party lines 34-27 to send the legislation forward with a provision that would officially rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Indonesian Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin bolstered an agreement to strengthen control over the Strait of Malacca.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te said that the country will construct a multi-layered air defense system called the "T-Dome" to defend itself against increasing threats from China.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun during a Tuesday meeting that while the United States does not seek conflict with China, it will "resolutely" protect its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that North Korea constructed a missile base near the Chinese border that is capable of hitting the United States.