Hegseeth warns that China is ‘threatening’ threat to Taiwan and urge to stimulate defense at Asia

The American Minister of Defense Pete Hegseeth has warned that China is an “imminent” threat to Taiwan, while encouraging Asian countries to stimulate defense expenditure and to work with the US to scare war.

Although the US is not “trying to dominate or strangle China”, it would not be pushed out of Asia or his allies are intimidated, Hegseeth said as he tackles an Asian defense summit of a high level.

In response, China accused the US of being the “biggest troublemaker” for regional peace.

Many in Asia fear potential instability when China Taiwan invades, a self -controlling island claimed by Beijing. China has not excluded the use of violence.

Speaking in the Shangri-la dialog in Singapore, HegseTh China characterized as looking for a “Hegemonic power” that “hopes to dominate and dominate too many parts of Asia. China is collided with different neighbors because of competing territorial claims in the South Schinese sea.

He said that Beijing “credibly prepared for the possible use of military force to change the power relationships” in Asia, and referred to a 2027 deadline that President Xi Jinping reportedly gave for the army of China to invade Taiwan.

This is a date of American officials and generals who have been around for years, but has never been confirmed by Beijing.

China “builds the army needed to do it, trains for it, every day and rehearsing for the real deal,” said Hegseeth.

“Let me be clear: any attempt by communist China to capture Taiwan with violence would lead to devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. There is no reason to sugar.

The US is not looking for war or conflict with China, Hegseeth added.

“We try not to dominate or strangle China, to circl or provoke. We are not looking for a regime change … But we must ensure that China cannot dominate us or our allies and partners,” he said, adding “We will not be pushed out of this critical region”.

In response to this, the Chinese embassy in Singapore placed a note on his Facebook page that the speech was “steeped in provocations and instructions” and said that Hegseeth “repeatedly had China had lubricated and attacked the so-called” China Threat “”.

“In fact, the US itself is the largest ‘troublemaker’ for regional peace and stability,” it added. Examples that quoted were the US “the use of attacking weapons” in the South Chinese Sea and the execution of what the embassy called “Chinese Islands and Riffen”.

“What the US now offers most to the world is” uncertainty, “said the embassy. “The country claims to protect peace and not to look for conflicts. We have heard it. Let’s see what movements it will take.”

The robust rhetoric of China came when it deliberately reduced its presence in the dialogue.

The Shangri-la dialog has traditionally served as a platform for the US and China to make their fields to Asian countries such as the super powers that influence.

But although this year the US has sent one of the largest delegations ever, China sent a remarkably lower level team instead and Schraapped his planned speech on Sunday. No explanation was given for this.

To prevent war, the US wants “a strong shield of deterrence” forged with allies, said Hegseeth, who promised that the US would “continue to wrap our arms around our friends and find new ways to work together”.

But he emphasized “deterrence is not cheap” and insisted on Asian countries to raise their defense expenditure, pointing to Europe as an example.

US President Donald Trump has demanded that members of NATO of the Western Alliance spend more on defense, at least 5% of their GDPs – an approach that called Hegseeth “Tough Love, but still love”. Some countries, including Estonia, quickly moved for it, while others like Germany have indicated an openness to satisfy.

“How can it be logical for countries in Europe to do that, while important allies and partners in Asia spend less in the light of a more formidable threat?” He said that with reference to China, adding North Korea was also a threat.

“Europe is going on. American allies in the Indo-Pacific should and must follow by quickly upgrading their own defense,” he insisted and said that they had to be “partners, no people charged”.

He praised American military hardware and also pointed to a new Indo-Pacific Partnership for Defense Industrial Resilience. The first projects can be set up a radar repair center in Australia for American maritime patrol aircraft bought by allies and help the production of unmanned drones in the region.

He also warned Asian countries against the search for economic ties with China, and said that Beijing would use it as “lever” to deepen his “malignant influence”, which complicates the American defense decisions.

The speech of Hegseeth came a day after the field of French President Emmanuel Macron is also Asia’s ally in the same dialogue for Europe.

Answering a question about Macron’s proposal, he said that the US would “prefer to give that the overwhelming balance of European investments on that continent”, so that the US could use its “comparative benefit” in the Indo-Pacific.

China’s reaction criticized Europe’s approach to the US. “Since American dedication to his European allies is to encourage the latter to spend more on self -defense, what will his dedication be to others?” read the statement.

“The US will continue to expand the already stunning Defense expenditure. Will the extensive part come from rates that impose it on other countries?” It added, referring to the global rates of Trump that have shaken the global economic order and led to concern among our allies.

Hegseeth also sold Trump’s vision on “common sense” in dealing with the rest of the world, where “America has no permanent enemies”.

He compared the American president with the deceased Singaporean statesman Lee Kuan Yew, who was famous for his pragmatic Realpolitik in foreign relations.

“The United States are not interested in the moralistic and preachy approach to foreign policy from the past. We are not here to put pressure on other countries to embrace and assume policies or ideologies. We are not here to preach to climate change or cultural issues. We are not here to impose our will on you,” he said.

It was an approach that Senator Tammy Duckworth, who was part of the American delegation in Singapore, criticized.

Separately speaking to reporters in the dialogue, the member of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate said that Hegseeth and the vision of Hegseeth and Trump were “not consistent with the values ​​on which our nation was founded”.

Others “know what we stand for, we stand for fundamental human rights, we are faced with international law and order. And that is where we continue to insist. And I know we will try to maintain in the Senate or otherwise it would be un-American,” she said.

Duckworth also focused on the general message of Hegseeth to allies in the region and called it “patronizing”.

“His idea that we wrap ourselves around you – we don’t need that kind of language. We have to stand with our allies, collaborate and send the message that America does not ask people to choose between the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and the US.”

Other members of the delegation, Republican representatives Brian Mast and John Moolenaar, told the BBC that the speech sent a clear message of China’s threat and it was welcomed by many Asian countries, according to meetings they had with officials.

“The message I have heard is that people want to see the freedom of navigation and respect for neighbors, but feel intimidated by some of the aggressive actions that China has shown,” said Moolenaar, who is chairman of a house committee for competition between the US and China.

“So the presence of the US is welcome and encouraged. And the message was to stay present.”

Ian Chong, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie China, said that Asian governments would be reassured by the dedication of the US to the status quo.

The call from Hegseeth to raise defense expenditure was “nowadays fairly standard for the US,” he said, adding that although it has been a “multi -year issue” between the US and Asian allies such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan who goes back for decades, “the Trump administration is more”.

“I think Asian governments will listen – but how much they will satisfy is a different story,” said Dr. Chong.