China launched a fierce diplomatic offensive Sunday, condemning U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for "vilifying China with defamatory allegations" during his Shangri-La Dialogue speech in Singapore.
The Chinese Foreign and Defense Ministries accused Hegseth of deliberately ignoring regional calls for peace while promoting a "Cold War mentality" and "bloc confrontation."
Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stated Washington habitually uses the forum to "stoke disputes, sow discord and seek selfish interests," stressing that such actions "will only backfire on the U.S. itself".
Taiwan: The "Play With Fire" Warning
The sharpest rebuke centered on Hegseth’s characterization of China as an "imminent threat" to Taiwan. Beijing declared Taiwan "purely China’s internal affair," warning the U.S. "never to play with fire" by using the island as a "bargaining chip." The Foreign Ministry emphasized: "Any attempt to contain China through Taiwan is doomed to fail," noting the People’s Liberation Army possesses "strong and reliable capabilities" to crush separatist schemes. Hegseth had earlier claimed China’s military was "rehearsing for the real deal" of invasion by 2027, predicting "devastating consequences" if force were used.
South China Sea Tensions Escalate
China reserved particular scorn for U.S. military activities in the South China Sea, accusing Washington of deploying offensive weapons, "stoking flames," and transforming the region into a "powder keg." Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, part of China’s delegation, asserted that "external intervention" – specifically referencing U.S.-led joint exercises with Australia, Japan, and the Philippines – constituted the greatest risk to stability. He claimed China had shown "goodwill and restraint" despite "foreign warships infringing on sovereignty". These criticisms came amid heightened clashes between Chinese and Philippine coast guards over disputed islands.
Forum Fallout and Macron’s "Double Standard" Rebuke
China’s delegation, notably led by lower-ranking Major General Hu Gangfeng instead of Defense Minister Dong Jun, rejected attempts to link Taiwan with Ukraine. After French President Emmanuel Macron warned against abandoning Ukraine to focus on Taiwan – implying dangerous "double standards" – China’s embassy in Singapore countered that the situations were "incomparable." It accused Macron of applying his own double standards, arguing Taiwan is a core sovereignty issue whereas Ukraine represents an "inter-state conflict".
Regional Reactions and Strategic Stakes
The clash overshadowed other forum developments, with Australia has pledged an additional A$10 billion ($6 billion) in defense spending following Hegseth’s call for allies to boost military outlays, though PM Anthony Albanese stressed decisions would remain sovereign, and with The Philippines, they defended U.S. involvement, with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro dismissing Beijing’s narrative and highlighting Manila’s maritime confrontations with China. The security friction unfolded alongside fragile U.S.-China trade talks. Temporary tariff reductions (U.S. duties cut from 145% to 30%, China’s from 125% to 10%) remain jeopardized by Trump’s threat to abandon "niceness" with Beijing.
China concluded by vowing its military would "work with regional countries to oppose hegemonism harming the Asia-Pacific" and prevent geopolitical conflicts from being "imported" into the region.