China is unhappy with the United States because of strong negative remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that Hegseth’s words at a security meeting in Singapore were unfair and meant to cause trouble.
Hegseth called China a threat to countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The Chinese ministry said this was wrong and hurtful. They said Hegseth ignored the wishes of nearby countries for peace and instead pushed an old Cold War way of thinking, which divides people. China called his comments “deplorable” and said he falsely accused China of being a danger.
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Hegseth told countries in the region to spend more money on defense because of a “real and possibly soon” threat from China.
The Chinese ministry also said the U.S. has put weapons in the South China Sea and is making the situation tense. They warned that this could make the area very dangerous.
The U.S. military has sent missile launchers to the Philippines, which can reach targets in both China and Russia. China and the Philippines disagree over some islands in the South China Sea, and their coast guards have had several conflicts there.
China also warned the U.S. not to cause trouble over Taiwan. Hegseth said at the meeting that if China tries to take control of Taiwan by force, it would have very serious consequences.
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China says Taiwan is part of its country and wants to bring it under its control, even by force if needed. But Taiwan’s government says it is independent and only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
