BEIJING (AP) — On Sunday, China criticized U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for labeling the country as a threat, accusing him of promoting a Cold War mindset as relations between Washington and Beijing continue to worsen.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Hegseth made defamatory remarks about Beijing during the Shangri-La Dialogue, an international security conference. The ministry also accused the U.S. of stirring conflict in the region.
“Hegseth intentionally overlooked the calls for peace and development in the region, instead pushing for a Cold War approach characterized by bloc confrontations,” the statement remarked, referencing the rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union after World War II.
The ministry added, “No nation should be labeled a hegemon except for the U.S. itself,” asserting that Washington is undermining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
During his remarks in Singapore on Saturday, Hegseth indicated that the U.S. plans to enhance its defenses abroad in response to what the Pentagon perceives as escalating threats from Beijing, particularly regarding Taiwan. He stated, “China’s military is preparing for real scenarios. We will not sugarcoat it — the danger posed by China is genuine and could be imminent.”
Regarding Taiwan, the Chinese statement emphasized that it is an internal issue for China and cautioned the U.S. against “playing with fire.” It also accused the U.S. of deploying offensive weapons in the South China Sea, claiming that such actions are inflaming tensions in the Asia-Pacific and turning the region into a “powder keg.”
At the Singapore forum, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro dismissed the idea that the U.S. is to blame for the tensions, stating that Chinese claims may conflict with what is accepted globally. The Chinese Embassy countered Teodoro’s assertions as “groundless accusations,” insisting that the South China Sea Islands belong to China. The embassy further claimed that a “troublemaker” exists, attributing the greatest threat to peace to external forces deploying offensive weapons.
