The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that China is actively preparing to use military force in order to change the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Hegseth, China’s military is practicing for real combat, and he emphasized that the growing threat from China is a top priority for the Trump administration.
Hegseth urged Washington’s Asian allies to increase their defense spending, stating that the concept of deterrence is not cheap. He also pointed out that Asian allies should look to Europe as an example and follow pledges made by NATO members like Germany to reach a spending target of 5% of GDP for defense, which is more than the current US spending percentage.
Hegseth also addressed China’s territorial ambitions, stating that any attempt to invade Taiwan would have devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific region and the world. He reaffirmed President Trump’s commitment that China will not conquer Taiwan during his presidency. Additionally, Hegseth criticized China’s power designs in Latin America, specifically its attempts to increase its influence around the Panama Canal.
The original article also included a video embedded within the content discussing China’s threat and the upcoming security talks.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/shangri-la-dialogue-us-defense-secretary-warns-of-imminent-china-threat/a-72741904?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
