Washington: US defence secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that China is “credibly preparing” to use military force to shift the power balance in Asia.
The Pentagon chief, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, said the threat posed by China is “real and could be imminent,” but the US remains firmly committed to the Indo-Pacific region, AFP reported.
Hegseth claimed Beijing is building up military capabilities to potentially invade Taiwan and “rehearsing for the real deal” through repeated large-scale exercises.
The defence secretary urged American allies in Asia to quickly bolster their defences by boosting defence spending and modernising their military capabilities. He assured that the US was adjusting its strategy so as to deter aggression from China.
Calling China’s actions a “wake-up call”, Hegseth accused Beijing of endangering lives with cyber attacks, harassing neighbours, and “illegally seizing and militarising lands” in the South China Sea.
“We are committed to ensure China cannot dominate us — or our allies and partners,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth stressed that the Indo-Pacific remains “America’s priority theatre” and reaffirmed Trump’s pledge that “China will not invade (Taiwan) on his watch”.
Hegseth’s warning comes amid growing tensions between the US and Chuna over trade, technology, and regional influence.
President Trump has launched a tariff war against the world, especially with China, after taking oath as President for his second term in January.
Just a day ago, Trump accused China of having “violated” a tariff truce amid stalled negotiations.
Even as Hegseth was delivering his address in Singapore, China announced that its navy and air force were conducting routine “combat readiness patrols” near the Scarborough Shoal — a disputed group of reefs and rocks contested with the Philippines.
Recent confrontations with the Philippines have heightened regional tensions, with China claiming nearly all of the South China Sea despite an international ruling against it.
“China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea has only increased in recent years. I think that this type of forum is exactly the type of forum where we need to have an exchange on that,” said Casey Mace, chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Singapore, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an inter-governmental security conference organised annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Singapore.
Interestingly, China has not sent senior defence ministry officials to the summit, instead delegating representatives from People’s Liberation Army National Defence University.
