Singapore: the United States has warned that China is about to use military force in Asia. A high American official said that recent actions in China – including military exercises near Taiwan and in the Southern China Sea – show that it could consider moving the balance of powers in the region.
The warning comes as tensions between the two countries are increasing on trade, technology and security.
The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said it on Saturday when he was speaking at an annual security forum in Singapore, while the administration of US President Donald Trump strives from Beijing on Trade, Technology and Influence on the Globe’s strategic corners.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry castigated the speech, saying that it had “placed solemn representations with the American part” on Hegseth’s comments and making a particular exception to its remarks on Taiwan.
Trump has launched a trade war with China since its entry into office in January, sought to limit its access to key AI technologies and to deepen security ties with allies such as the Philippines, which is engaged in the climbing of territorial disputes with Beijing.
“The threat that China poses is real and it could be imminent,” Hegseth said during the Shangri-La dialogue, assisted by defense officials around the world.
Beijing is crediblely preparing to potentially use military force to modify the balance of powers in Indo-Pacific, “he said.
Hegseth warned that the Chinese army was strengthening the ability to invade Taiwan and “repeat for the real matter”.
China has increased military pressure on Taiwan and organized large -scale exercises around the autonomous democratic island which are often described as preparations for a blockade or an invasion.
The United States “reoriented itself to dissuade the aggression through Communist China,” said HegSeth, calling on the allies and American partners in Asia to quickly improve their defenses in the face of increasing threats.
In Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The United States should not try to use the Taiwan problem as a negotiation currency to contain China and should not play with fire.”
‘Stir trouble’
Hegseth has described the conduct of China as “alarm clock”, accusing Beijing of endangering lives with cyberattacks, the harassment of neighbors and “illegally seized and militariant lands” in the disputed sea of southern China.
Beijing claims almost the entire navigable path, through which more than 60% of world maritime trade, despite an international decision that its affirmation has no merit.
He clashed several times with the Philippines in strategic waters in recent months, the flashpoint planned to dominate discussions at the Singapore Forum, according to American officials.
While Hegseth spoke in Singapore, the Chinese soldiers announced that his navy and its air forces were making “routine preparation patrols” around the scarborough speaker, a chain of reefs and rocks of Beijing disputes with the Philippines.
Beijing did not send any senior officials of the Ministry of Defense to the Summit, rather sending a delegation from the National University of Defense of the People’s Liberation Army led by Counter-Admiral Hu Gangfeng.
Without referring to Hegseth by name, Hu declared about his speech that “these actions aim essentially to arouse problems, to create a division, to encourage confrontation and to destabilize Asia-Pacific”.
Hegseth’s comments occurred after Trump marked new trade tensions with China, arguing that Beijing had “raped” an agreement to defuse the prices while the two parties seemed in a dead end in negotiations.
The two largest economies in the world had agreed to temporarily reduce the attractive prices they had imposed, arrested them for 90 days.
‘Impossible to dominate’
Reassuring the American allies on Saturday, Hegseth said that the Asia -Pacific region was “the American priority theater”, committing to ensuring that “China cannot dominate us – or our allies and partners”.
He said the United States had intensified cooperation with allies, including the Philippines and Japan, and reiterated Trump’s wish that “China will not dwell (Taiwan) on his watch”.
However, he called on the American partners in the region to accelerate spending on their soldiers and to “quickly improve their own defenses”.
“Asian allies are expected to turn to European countries for a new example,” said HegSeth, citing promises of NATO members, including Germany, for opposing Trump’s defense expenses of five percent of GDP.
“Deterrence does not come cheap.”
