China has taken issue with Hegseth referring to it as a threat in the Indo-Pacific, labeling his comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday as “deplorable” and “aimed at creating division.”
“Hegseth deliberately dismissed the calls for peace and development from countries in the region, instead promoting a Cold War mentality focused on bloc confrontation, maligning China with slanderous claims, and incorrectly labeling China a ‘threat’,” the ministry stated on its website.
Hegseth urged allies in the Indo-Pacific to increase defense spending after cautioning about the “real and potentially imminent” danger posed by China.
“The United States has positioned offensive weaponry in the South China Sea, further inflaming tensions in the Asia-Pacific and transforming the region into a powder keg,” the ministry added in its statement.
This year, as part of its enduring defense relationships, the U.S. military deployed Typhon launchers to the Philippines, capable of launching missiles that can reach targets in both China and Russia from Luzon.
China and the Philippines continue to dispute sovereignty over certain islands and atolls in the South China Sea, leading to increased maritime confrontations between their coast guards as they both seek to patrol these waters.
The ministry also cautioned the United States against “playing with fire” regarding the Taiwan issue.
During his address at Asia’s leading forum for defense officials and diplomats, Hegseth indicated that any attempt by China to seize Taiwan “would lead to catastrophic consequences”.
China has pledged to “reunify” with the self-governing island, even by force if necessary. The Taiwanese government refutes Beijing’s sovereignty claims, asserting that only the people of Taiwan can determine their future.
(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
