The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday slammed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for a “Cold War mentality” in response to his remarks about China at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which included him warning that the US is ready to “fight and win” a war over Taiwan.
During his speech on Saturday, Hegseth took aim at China over a range of issues, including Taiwan and the South China Sea. “China seeks to become a hegemonic power in Asia. No doubt. It hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region,” he said.
Hegseth accused China of wanting to “fundamentally alter the region’s status quo” and said Beijing’s “behavior towards its neighbors and the world is a wake-up call.”
Regarding Taiwan, Hegseth claimed that it was “public” that Chinese President Xi Jinping had ordered his forces to be prepared for an invasion by 2027. However, that claim is based on comments from US officials and has never been confirmed by Beijing. In 2023, Xi reportedly raised the issue with President Biden, saying there were “no such plans.”
The claim that China will be ready to invade by 2027 has helped the Pentagon secure more funding from Congress for its military buildup in the Asia Pacific, and Hegseth is also looking to prioritize the region. According to The Washington Post, Hegseth sent out a memo in March that ordered the Pentagon to put its focus on preparing for a war with China over Taiwan despite the obvious risk of nuclear war.
In his speech on Saturday, Hegseth said the US was “reorienting toward deterring aggression by Communist China.” While pushing the claim that China will be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, Hegseth also suggested it could happen sooner.
“Any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. The threat China poses is real,” he said. “And it could be imminent. We hope not. But it certainly could be.”
Hegseth said the US would focus on deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, although recent US efforts to increase support for Taipei have only raised tensions in the region and led to an increase in Chinese military activity around the island. Hegseth said that if deterrence fails, the US would be ready to fight.
“But if deterrence fails, and if called upon by my Commander in Chief, we are prepared to do what the Department of Defense does best – fight and win — decisively,” Hegseth said.
US military officials have been openly preparing for a war with China over Taiwan for years now, but for the US secretary of defense to make such comments in a Southeast Asian nation marks a significant provocation toward Beijing.
“Hegseth deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a ‘threat.’ The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“No country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the US itself, who is also the primary factor undermining the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific,” the ministry added.
Regarding Taiwan, the ministry said the US was “playing with fire” on the issue. “The Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair. No country is in a position to interfere. The US should never imagine it could use the Taiwan question as leverage against China,” it said.
