China accuses Hegseth of espousing 'Cold War mentality' for labeling country as a threat: 'Vilified'

China criticized U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth connected Sunday for his "vilified" remarks "filled with provocations" successful which helium said the Asian state poses a morganatic menace successful the Indo-Pacific.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Hegseth touted a "Cold War mentality" erstwhile helium delivered his code connected Saturday astatine the Shangri-La Dialogue information league successful Singapore.

"Hegseth deliberately ignored the telephone for bid and improvement by countries successful the region, and alternatively touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a 'threat,'" a spokesperson for the ministry said successful a statement.

"The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord," the connection continued. "China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested powerfully to the U.S. No state successful the satellite deserves to beryllium called a hegemonic powerfulness different than the US itself, which is besides the superior origin undermining the bid and stableness successful the Asia-Pacific."

HEGSETH SAYS US WILL BOLSTER DEFENSES OVERSEAS TO SUPPORT INDO-PACIFIC ALLIES AGAINST CHINA

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Hegseth touted a "Cold War mentality" erstwhile helium delivered his code astatine the Shangri-La Dialogue information league successful Singapore. (AP)

On Saturday, Hegseth said the U.S. volition bolster its defenses overseas to antagonistic what the Pentagon views arsenic rapidly processing threats by China, peculiarly toward Taiwan, which Beijing claims arsenic its own.

The Chinese army "is rehearsing for the existent deal," Hegseth said. "We are not going to sugarcoat it — the menace China poses is real. And it could beryllium imminent."

The Pentagon main said China is nary longer gathering up its subject forces to instrumentality Taiwan, but it is "actively grooming for it, each day."

Addressing the quality implicit Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said successful its connection that the substance is China’s interior matter and that the U.S. should "never play with fire."

"No state is successful a presumption to interfere," the connection said. "The US should ne'er ideate it could usage the Taiwan question arsenic leverage against China. The US indispensable ne'er play with occurrence connected this question. China urges the US to afloat abide by the one-China rule and the 3 China-US associated communiqués, and halt supporting and emboldening the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."

HEGSETH DENIES CLAIM THAT GOLDEN DOME IS 'OFFENSIVE': 'PROTECTING THE HOMELAND'

Hegseth said the U.S. volition bolster its defenses overseas to antagonistic what the Pentagon views arsenic rapidly processing threats by China. (AP)

The connection besides accused the U.S. of deploying violative weaponry successful the South China Sea and "stoking flames and creating tensions" successful the Asia-Pacific, which it said was "turning the portion into a pulverization keg and making countries successful the portion profoundly concerned."

In the South China Sea, the connection said determination "has ne'er been immoderate occupation with respect to state of navigation and overflight there."

"China has ever been committed to moving with countries acrophobic to decently grip differences done dialog and consultation, portion safeguarding China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests successful accordance with laws and regulations," the spokesperson said. "It is the U.S. that is the superior origin hurting the bid and stableness successful the South China Sea."

The connection concluded: "China urges the U.S. to afloat respect the efforts of countries successful the portion to support bid and stability, halt deliberately destroying the peaceful and unchangeable situation cherished by the region, and halt inciting struggle and confrontation and escalating tensions successful the region."

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang besides called Hegseth's comments a provocation that distorted China’s argumentation positions.

Hegseth said the Chinese service "is rehearsing for the existent deal" and the menace it poses could beryllium imminent. (AP)

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While Hegseth vowed to boost U.S. defenses overseas to antagonistic immoderate imaginable menace from China, the defence caput insisted that allies successful the Indo-Pacific besides lend much to their ain defense.

"We ask, and so we insist, that our allies and partners bash their portion connected defense," helium said connected Saturday. "Sometimes that means having uncomfortable and pugnacious conversations."

The U.S. and China reached a woody past period to chopped tariffs connected each different by 115% for 90 days to let clip for negotiators from some sides to travel to a much substantive agreement, but Trump said successful a societal media station connected Friday that helium would nary longer beryllium "nice" with China erstwhile it comes to commercialized and accused Beijing of breaking an unspecified statement with the U.S.