Hegseth focused his warning on Beijing’s stance toward Taiwan, making the stakes clear for the broader region. “To be clear: any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” he said.

China blasted U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s speech at a defense forum in Singapore over the weekend, accusing him of trying “to sow discord” after he warned of a potentially “imminent” threat to Taiwan.

The US defence secretary called on Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war.