US Secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has warned that China is a “imminent” threat to Taiwan while urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to avoid war.
Hegseth said the United States does not “seek to dominate or strangle China,” but it would not be pushed out of Asia or allow its friends to be intimidated, while speaking at a high-level Asian military symposium.
The United States is the “biggest troublemaker” for regional peace, according to China’s response. Many Asians fear anarchy might result from China’s invasion of Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by Beijing. China has not ruled out the use of force.
Hegseth stated that China “hopes to dominate and control too many parts” of Asia in order to establish itself as a “hegemonic power” during his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. China and some of its neighbours have fought over competing territory claims in the South China Sea.
He mentioned a 2027 deadline allegedly imposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the military to be ready to attack Taiwan. Beijing was “credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power” in Asia, he said. For years, US officials and generals have suggested this date, but Beijing has never openly accepted it.
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