China warned the United States to “not play with fire” at dawn on Sunday (Saturday afternoon in Brasilia) after the Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth, claiming that Beijing is preparing to invade Taiwan and “dominate and control” Asia. The diplomatic incident happens at a time when the relationship between the two countries is intensified on several fronts, including due to the trade war began by Donald Trump, which plans to expand restrictions on the Chinese technology sector.
“The United States should not try to use the Taiwan issue as a trump card to contain China and should not play with fire,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement at dawn on Sunday, adding that he had an official protest to the US.
Chinese diplomacy referred to a speech by the US Secretary of Defense during the Singapore Shangri-LA Dialogue Forum, which annually brings together security and defense authorities of the continent and the rest of the world.
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In his speech on Saturday (still Friday in Brasilia), Hegseth said China is “preparing for the potential use of military force” to alter the balance of power in Asia, a region that wants to “master and control”, adding that Chinese forces are improving their abilities, training daily to invade Taiwan.
“The threat that China represents is real and can be imminent,” Hegseth said, adding that Beijing “hopes to dominate and control” Asia. “It is of public knowledge that XI [Jinping, presidente chinês] He ordered his Armed Forces to be able to invade Taiwan until 2027. The popular liberation army is building the Armed Forces to do this, training for it every day and rehearsing for real action. ”
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China, which has not sent any high official to the Forum this year – which has not happened since 2019 – condemned Hegseth’s speech in several instances. The Chinese embassy in Singapore said the speech of the Pentagon head was “immersed in provocation and incitement.” Chinese representative, counter-remove hu gangfeng, denounced, without directly referring to Hegseth, “unfounded accusations” aimed at “sowing problems, creating divisions, inciting confrontations, and destabilizing the Asia Pacific region.”
Hegseth’s statement took place on the same day the Agency Reuters revealed, based on two anonymous US officials, which the US plan to expand the sale of weapons to Taiwan. According to one of the sources, sales notifications could “easily exceed” the $ 18.3 billion approved between 2017 and 2021, in addition to about $ 8.4 billion registered during the Biden government.
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Hegseth took the speech to appeal to Washington’s partners to increase their military spending to contain China.
“US allies in Indo-Pacific can and should quickly update their own defenses,” said the Pentagon chief in the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore, adding that “the dissuasion is not cheap.”
In an attempted strength projection, the US Secretary of Defense said the United States is “back” in the region, which he classified as one of the White House’s priorities. “The United States is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific, and we came to stay,” he said, calling the region “Our Priority Theater.” (With AFP)
