by Bill Gertz at The Washington Times
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received an intelligence briefing in Hawaii from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command that focused on threats to the region posed by China and other adversaries.
A senior defense official at the command said the Chinese Communist Party scaled back military drills this year as a result of a nationwide campaign seeking greater political loyalty under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The briefing for the secretary included an overview of major threats emanating from the region, among them Chinese military and political activity and the tense military standoff on the Korean peninsula.
Hawaii was the first stop on a four-nation tour of the Asia Pacific for the secretary,…