Pentagon chief warns Indo-Pacific allies of 'imminent' China threat; Beijing calls it 'groundless accusations'

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a stark warning on Saturday, stating that China is “credibly preparing” to use military power to disrupt the current balance in Asia. He reaffirmed that the United States remains firmly committed to the region.

Delivering his first remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s premier forum for defence leaders, militaries and diplomats, he underlined that the Indo-Pacific region was a priority for the Trump administration.

“There’s no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent,” Hegseth said, in some of his strongest comments on the Communist nation since he took office in January. He added that any attempt by China to conquer Taiwan “would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world”, and echoed Trump’s comment that China will not invade Taiwan on the president’s watch.

China has a stated goal of ensuring its military is capable of taking Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline, he said.

Hegseth also said that China also has built sophisticated, artificial islands in the South China Sea to support new military outposts and developed highly advanced hypersonic and space capabilities, which are driving the United States to create its own space-based “Golden Dome” missile defenses.

Hegseth also called out China for its ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to increase its influence over the Panama Canal.

He urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase defense spending to levels similar to the 5% of their gross domestic product European nations are now pressed to contribute.

“We must all do our part,” Hegseth said.

China’s representatives at the conference blasted the speech, calling it “groundless accusations fabricated out of thin air”.

Trump has launched a trade war with China since taking office in January, has sought to curb its access to key AI technologies and deepened security ties with allies such as the Philippines, which is engaged in escalating territorial disputes with Beijing.

China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to “reunify” with the democratic and separately governed island, by force if necessary. It has stepped up military and political pressure to assert those claims, including increasing the intensity of war games around Taiwan.

With inputs from agencies