China issued a blistering response after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said "the threat China poses is real."

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China posing an "imminent" threat to Taiwan, while urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war. While the US does not "seek to dominate or strangle China",

In what was his most assertive statement to date on Taiwan, Hegseth issued a stark warning that threats to the island from China “could be imminent.” Hegseth said that the U.S

China has denounced U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for calling the Asian country a threat, accusing him of touting a Cold War mentality.

China accused Hegseth of vilifying the country with defamatory accusations and criticized him for promoting a Cold War mentality.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday delivered a dire warning to the Asia-Pacific region and the world: China’s designs on Taiwan pose a threat to global peace and stability that requires “our allies and partners do their part on defense.