China ‘preparing’ to use military force in Asia

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth yesterday warned 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".

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.

"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".

China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan and held large-scale exercises around the island that are often described as preparations for a blockade or invasion.

The United States was "reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China", Hegseth said, calling on US allies and partners in Asia to swiftly upgrade their defences in the face of mounting threats.

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.

Hegseth's hard-hitting address drew a critical reaction from the Chinese embassy in the city-state.

"The speech is steeped in provocations and instigation," the embassy wrote on its Facebook page.

"Mr Hegseth repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called 'China threat'," the statement said, accusing the United States of being the "biggest troublemaker" in the region.

Beijing did not send any top defence ministry officials to the summit, dispatching instead a delegation from the People's Liberation Army National Defence University led by Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng.