Singapore: The United States has warned that China is preparing to use military force in Asia. A senior American official said that the recent actions of China, including military exercises near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, show that they may be planning to change the balance of power in the region.
The warning occurs as tensions between the two countries grow over commerce, technology and security.
The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegesh, said this on Saturday while talking in an annual security forum in Singapore, while the administration of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, addresses Beijing about commerce, technology and influence on the strategic corners of the world.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pronounced the speech, saying that it had “housed solemn representations with the side of the United States” about Hegseth’s comments and giving a particular exception to his comments about Taiwan.
Trump has launched a commercial war with China since he assumed the position in January, tried to stop his access to key technologies of AI and deep security ties with allies such as the Philippines, which is dedicated to increasing territorial disputes with Beijing.
“The threat that China represents is real and could be imminent,” Hegseth said in the Shangri-la dialogue, attended by defense officials around the world.
Beijing “prepares in a credible way to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Hegesh warned that the Chinese army was building the capacities to invade Taiwan and “rehearse for the real business.”
China has increased military pressure on Taiwan and has carried out large -scale exercises around the self -governor democratic island that are often described as preparations for blocking or invasion.
The United States was “reor
In Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The United States should not try to use Taiwan’s problem as a negotiation chip to contain China and should not play with fire.”
‘Problem Rebo’
Hegseth described China’s behavior as a “call of attention”, accusing Beijing of endangering lives with cyber attacks, harassing their neighbors and “seizing illegally and militarizing land” in the disputed sea of southern China.
Beijing affirms almost the entire river route, through which more than 60 percent of global maritime trade passes, despite an international decision that his statement has no merit.
He has repeatedly faced the Philippines in strategic waters in recent months, with Flashpoint to master discussions in the Singapore forum, according to US officials.
While Hegesh spoke in Singapore, the Chinese army announced that his Navy and the Air Force were carrying out “routine combat preparation patrols” around Scarborough Shoal, a chain of reefs and rocks disputes with the Philippines.
Beijing did not send any official of the senior officials of the Ministry of Defense to the Summit, sending instead a delegation of the University of National Defense of the Popular Army of Liberation led by the Comptroller Hu Gangfeng.
Without referring to Hegseth by name, Hu said of his speech that “these actions are essentially tried to cause problems, create division, incite confrontation and destabilize Asia and Pacific.”
Hegesh’s comments occurred after Trump fueled the new commercial tensions with China, arguing that Beijing had “violated” an agreement to reduce rates when the two parties seemed blocked in the negotiations.
The two largest economies in the world had agreed to temporarily reduce the water and water rates that had been imposed, stopping them for 90 days.
‘You can’t master’
Ensuring United States allies on Saturday, Hegseth said that the Asia-Pacific region was “United States priority theater”, committing to ensure that “China cannot master us, or our allies and partners.”
He said that the United States had intensified cooperation with allies, including the Philippines and Japan, and reiterated Trump’s vote that “China will not invade (Taiwan) in its surveillance.”
However, he asked American partners in the region to increase spending on their military and “quickly update their own defenses.”
“Asian allies should search the countries of Europe for a new example,” said Hegesh, citing promises from NATO members, including Germany, to move towards the target of Trump’s defense expense of five percent of GDP.
“Dysmasion does not reach the cheap.”
