China has lodged a complaint with the US regarding “defamatory” comments made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to the foreign ministry, which also accused the US of intentionally disregarding peace calls from nations in the region.
The ministry expressed discontent over Mr. Hegseth labeling China as a threat in the Indo-Pacific, calling his remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore yesterday “unacceptable.”
“Hegseth intentionally overlooked the peace and development appeals from regional countries, instead promoting a Cold War mindset for bloc confrontation, maligning China with unfounded allegations, and wrongly labeling China as a ‘threat,'” the ministry stated on its website.
“The United States has stationed offensive weaponry in the South China Sea, exacerbating tensions and inflaming conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, which risks turning the region into a volatile situation,” it continued in the statement.
“China’s armed forces will collaborate with other nations in the area to challenge hegemonism that endangers the Asia-Pacific,” ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said in a statement posted on the ministry’s WeChat account.
Mr. Hegseth urged Indo-Pacific allies, including key security partner Australia, to increase their defense spending, warning of the “real and possibly imminent” threat posed by China.
Watch: Pete Hegseth yesterday cautioned that China is ready to employ military force in Asia.
When asked about the recommendation to enhance defense spending, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that his government had committed an additional A$10bn (€8.8bn) to defense initiatives.
“Our approach will be to define our defense policy,” he informed reporters today, according to a transcript of his remarks.
In alignment with Washington’s enduring defense agreements with the Philippines, the US military has deployed Typhoon launchers this year capable of targeting both China and Russia from the island of Luzon.
China and the Philippines are in contention over several islands and atolls in the South China Sea, with increasing naval confrontations as both nations seek to patrol the waters.
China’s delegation at the forum asserted that “external interference” poses the greatest threat to stability in the South China Sea, emphasizing the country’s “goodwill and restraint” during discussions on the matter.
“Certain foreign powers have dispatched warplanes and warships to the South China Sea under the guise of ‘freedom of navigation,'” cited Senior Colonel Zhang Chi from the PLA National Defence University as reported by the state-backed Global Times.
Such maneuvers violate China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, he noted.
The US, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines have engaged in joint maritime operations in the heavily trafficked waterway.
China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, including portions of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
However, in 2016, an international arbitration tribunal determined that Beijing’s extensive claims lacked foundation in international law.
China’s foreign ministry also cautioned the US not to “play with fire” regarding Taiwan.
Any attempt by China to take control of Taiwan “would lead to severe consequences,” Mr. Hegseth stated during his address at Asia’s leading defense forum for military leaders and diplomats.
China has pledged to “reunify” with the independently governed island, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, asserting that only the island’s populace can decide their future.
