US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was "here to stay" in the region.
The Pentagon chief made the remarks at an annual security forum in Singapore as the administration of US President Donald Trump spars with Beijing on trade, technology, and influence over strategic corners of the globe.
China's embassy in Singapore blasted the speech, accusing Washington of escalating tensions in the region and "profiting from creating risks of war".
"The threat China poses is real and it could be imminent," Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue attended by defence officials from around the world. Beijing is "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific", he said.
Hegseth warned that the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal".
Hegseth described China's conduct as a "wake-up call", accusing Beijing of endangering lives with cyber attacks, harassing its neighbours, and "illegally seizing and militarising lands" in the disputed South China Sea.
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