BEIJING: China on Sunday warned the United States it “should not play with fire” over Taiwan and said it had lodged “representations” with Washington over comments made by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at a summit in Singapore.
The US secretary of defence used his speech at an annual security forum on Saturday to warn that China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia.
He added that the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and “rehearsing for the real deal”.
In a statement released just after midnight, China’s foreign ministry said it had “lodged solemn representations with the US side” over Hegseth’s comments, adding that it “strongly deplores” his remarks.
“The US should not try to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to contain China and should not play with fire,“ it said.
Beijing, which did not send its defence minister Dong Jun to the Singapore summit, called the “Taiwan issue” China’s “internal affair” and said foreign countries had no right to interfere.
China considers the self-ruled democratic island as its territory and has not ruled out using force to take control of it.
Hegseth also accused Beijing of “illegally seizing and militarising lands” in the disputed South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
The foreign ministry on Sunday claimed there had “never been any issue” with navigation in the waterway.
China “is committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with the law”, a ministry spokesperson said.
Beijing also accused the United States of turning the Indo-Pacific region into a “powder keg” by deploying weapons in the South China Sea.
Hence then, the article about china says us should not play with fire on taiwan slams hegseth was published today ( ) and is available on Daily Sun ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( China says US 'should not play with fire' on Taiwan, slams Hegseth )
Also on site :
- Inside Iran’s Preparation for War and Plans for Survival
- I tried Harry Styles’s favourite shoes as a mid-40s dad – my daughter was horrified
- Kid Rock Predicts God Will ‘Cut Down’ Journalists for Reporting (Accurately) That He Is Charging Up to $5,000 for Tour Tickets