China has issued a formal protest against the United States over recent remarks by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing Washington of “vilifying” Beijing and promoting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific.
In a statement published on Sunday, China’s foreign ministry said Hegseth's speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was "deplorable" and “deliberately intended to sow division.”
The defence chief had described China as a “real and potentially imminent threat,” calling on allies, including Australia, to increase military spending in response.
Beijing said Hegseth “ignored regional calls for peace,” instead promoting a Cold War-style mentality. The statement also accused Washington of deploying offensive weapons in the South China Sea and heightening military tensions.
"The United States has deployed offensive weaponry and kept stoking flames in the Asia-Pacific, turning the region into a powder keg," the ministry said.
The criticism comes after the U.S. installed Typhoon missile launchers in Luzon, the Philippines—part of longstanding defence ties. The system is capable of striking targets in both China and Russia.
At the same time, tensions between China and the Philippines continue over contested areas in the South China Sea, where encounters between coast guards have become more frequent.
China also warned Washington “not to play with fire” over Taiwan. In his address, Hegseth warned that any Chinese attempt to take the island would have “devastating consequences.”
Beijing has vowed to reunify with Taiwan, by force if needed. Taiwan’s government, however, insists its future can only be decided by its people.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, responding to Hegseth’s remarks, said Canberra would follow its own defence roadmap. He pointed to an extra A$10 billion already pledged to defence.
"What we'll do is we'll determine our defence policy," he said on Sunday.
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