Taiwan, Hegseth: 'The Chinese threat is real and may be imminent'
The US Defence Secretary attacked Beijing over Taiwan and urged Indo-Pacific allies to invest in armaments
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From our correspondent
NEW DELHI - In a move designed to further cool relations between Washington and Beijing, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the threat posed by China is real and potentially imminent, urging Asian allies to invest more in defence.
"It must be clear to everyone that Beijing is concretely preparing to use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," Hegseth said during his first speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's leading strategic and diplomatic forum held annually in Singapore.
The "devastating consequences" of an attack
."There is no point in sugar-coating reality. The threat posed by China is real, and it may be imminent," Hegseth said, using some of the strongest language towards Beijing since he took office in January. The US defence secretary added that any attempt by China to take over Taiwan 'would have devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world'.
China considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory and has set itself the goal of reunification, resorting - if necessary - to the use of force. Not surprisingly, it has long intensified military and political pressure on Taipei, increasing the frequency and scale of military exercises around the island. The Taiwanese government has always rejected sovereignty claims from China, arguing that only the Taiwanese people can decide their own future.
