"Could be imminent": Hegseth warns of Chinese attack on Taiwan

US President Trump has just expressed his anger at Beijing over the tariff dispute. His defense secretary doubled down at a security conference in Singapore, saying China is practicing invading Taiwan on a daily basis. A threat could be imminent. The Pentagon chief promises a strong US presence in the Indo-Pacific.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned the US's Asian allies against a Chinese military intervention in Taiwan. It is known that Chinese President Xi Jinping "has ordered his military to be capable of invading Taiwan by 2027," he said at the Shangri-La Security Conference in Singapore. The Chinese military is building up its forces, "practicing every day and rehearsing for the worst-case scenario," Hegseth added.

There are "clear and credible" signs that Beijing is "preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, warning: "The threat from China is real and could be imminent." The People's Republic wants to "dominate and control" Asia.

Hegseth called on the US's Asian allies to "rapidly increase their defense capabilities." Deterrence has its price, he added. The US Secretary of Defense also emphasized that the US would maintain a military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. "America is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific—and we will stay." The region is the US's highest priority.

Arms deliveries to Taiwan

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it wants to reunify with the mainland—if necessary by military force. Washington is one of Taipei's most important allies. Over the past 50 years, the US has sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment and munitions to Taiwan, including F-16 fighter jets and warships.

US President Donald Trump had previously accused China of breaking agreements in the trade dispute and threatened tougher action. "China, perhaps unsurprisingly, has completely breached its agreement with the US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. The president did not specify to what extent China had violated agreements or what measures he would take against the government in Beijing.