SINGAPORE — China has issued a stern warning to the United States, urging Washington not to “play with fire” over Taiwan, after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled China a “threat to the region” during a high-level speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday.
Hegseth accused China of actively preparing for military action to reshape the balance of power in Asia, including rehearsing a potential invasion of Taiwan. The defense secretary also urged U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific, particularly Australia, to increase defense spending in response to what he described as a “real and potentially imminent” threat from Beijing.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Hegseth’s remarks, stating that Taiwan is a domestic Chinese matter and cautioning the U.S. against using the island as a geopolitical tool. In a sharply worded statement, Beijing accused Washington of turning the Asia-Pacific region into a “powder keg” through its military posturing and alliance-building.
“The U.S. should not entertain illusions about using the Taiwan question as a bargaining chip to contain China, nor should it play with fire,” the ministry said, describing Hegseth’s comments as “inflammatory rhetoric.”
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province. While Beijing has vowed reunification — by force if necessary — Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects those claims, asserting that only the island’s 23 million people can decide their future.
China further accused Hegseth of “vilifying China with defamatory allegations” and pushing a Cold War-style bloc confrontation narrative. It said the U.S. has become the “most destabilizing factor” in the Asia-Pacific, citing the deployment of offensive weaponry and military assets across the region.
“Hegseth deliberately ignored the regional desire for peace and development, instead opting to promote Cold War thinking and stoke division,” the ministry said, confirming it had lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the United States.
The dispute over Taiwan comes amid a broader regional standoff, including the contested South China Sea, where China continues to clash diplomatically and at sea with several countries, most notably the Philippines. Maritime confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coastguards have become more frequent as both nations assert competing territorial claims.
China rejected U.S. accusations that it is threatening freedom of navigation in international waters, stating it has consistently advocated for dialogue and adheres to international law in protecting its maritime rights.
“The U.S. is the biggest factor undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Beijing asserted in its statement.
In a notable diplomatic snub, China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun did not attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, marking the first time since 2019 that a Chinese defense chief has skipped the annual forum — barring cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Beijing dispatched a lower-level delegation, signaling a cooling of military engagement with Washington.
The absence underscores simmering tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which are already locked in a bitter trade standoff that began under President Donald Trump and continues to reshape global economic and security dynamics.
