BEIJING (AP) – China condemned US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Sunday for labeling Asian nations as a threat, accusing him of pushing a Cold War narrative that exacerbates tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Hegseth for making defamatory remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Global Security Conference, stating it accused the United States of fostering conflict in the region.
“Hegseth consciously disregarded calls for peace and development from regional nations, instead advocating for Cold War-era Bloc conflicts,” a spokesperson remarked, referencing the post-World War II rivalry between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union.
“No nation can justly be called a hegemonic force other than the United States itself,” the statement asserted, claiming that Washington undermines peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Singapore on Saturday, Hegseth stated that Washington will enhance its foreign defenses to counter what the Pentagon identifies as a rapidly growing threat from Beijing, particularly due to its assertive posture towards Taiwan.
He remarked that the Chinese military is “practicing for a real confrontation.” “We’re not going to sugarcoat it. The threat posed by China is real and could be imminent.”
“Provocation” by Hegseth
China’s statement asserted that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter and cautioned the U.S. to “never play with fire.” The statement further claimed that Washington has deployed offensive weaponry to the South China Sea, “fanning the flames and intensifying tensions in the Asia-Pacific region,” potentially “turning it into a powder keg.”
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Defense, labeled Hegseth’s comments as a provocation and accused him of misrepresenting China’s policy stance.
Last month, the U.S. and China agreed to reduce Donald Trump’s tariffs from 145% to 30%, providing negotiators from both sides with a 90-day window to secure a more substantial agreement. China also cut U.S. tariffs from 125% to 10%.
However, uncertainty looms over the continuation of the trade war. In a social media post on Friday, Trump indicated he would take a firmer stance, asserting that relations with China are “no longer nice” due to allegations of Beijing violating an unspecified trade agreement.
Tensions recently spiked after the U.S. announced it would start revoking visas for Chinese students studying in the country on Wednesday.
The Philippines Issue
At the Singapore Forum on Sunday, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro dismissed the notion that the U.S. was the root of the problem.
The Philippines faces increasingly violent clashes with China over conflicting claims in the South China Sea. Teodoro remarked that the Chinese government’s position may contradict norms accepted by other nations.
In a Facebook post, the Chinese embassy in Singapore rebuffed Teodoro’s comments as “baseless,” insisting that the islands in the South China Sea are part of China’s inherent territory.
They labeled the “troublemaker” argument as unfounded, asserting that it was not China but the recent illegal incursions into waters near two coral reefs that pose a threat.
Without explicitly naming any parties, it was stated that “some external powers” have posed the greatest threats to peace, citing the deployment of offensive weapons and frequent military exercises.
“Which nation is instigating conflict, coercion, and escalation in the South China Sea? The answer is clear to all.”
And Then There Was Macron
Separately, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore on Saturday criticized attempts to link Taiwan’s issues with the war in Ukraine, following warnings from French President Emmanuel Macron about “dangerous double standards” in focusing on potential conflicts with China while neglecting Ukraine.
While not naming Macron directly, the embassy’s Facebook post included a photo of the French president at the Singapore Forum.
“If we attempt to address ‘double standards’ through a lens of double standards, the only result we will achieve is further double standards,” it stated.
Typically, China sends its defense minister to the Shangri-La Forum; however, this year it sent a lower-level delegation led by Major General Hu Gang Feng, vice president of the People’s Liberation Army National Defense University.
Source: apnews.com