China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific
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Beijing has sharply rebuked the US Defense Secretary’s speech at a Singapore security forum, describing it as inflammatory.
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Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, on May 31, 2025 (AP)
Beijing issued a sharp rebuke on Saturday in response to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s warning about China's expanding military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chinese embassy in Singapore condemned Hegseth’s address at a regional security summit as inflammatory, accusing the United States of deliberately fueling instability across the region.
"The speech is steeped in provocations and instigation," read a statement posted to the embassy’s official Facebook page.
The embassy added that Hegseth had "repeatedly smeared and attacked China and relentlessly played up the so-called 'China threat'," describing the United States as the "biggest troublemaker" in the Asia-Pacific.
Unlike previous years, China did not send senior defense ministry officials to the summit. Instead, it was represented by a delegation from the People's Liberation Army National Defense University, led by Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng.
Without naming Hegseth directly, Hu criticized the remarks made by the US official, accusing Washington of seeking to destabilize the region.
These actions, Hu said, were aimed at "stirring up trouble, creating division, inciting confrontation, and destabilising the Asia-Pacific."
Hegseth warns China while pressuring allies
Earlier today, Hegseth claimed that Beijing is preparing to shift the regional balance of power through force, remarks that reflect Washington’s continued drive to militarize the Indo-Pacific under the pretext of "deterrence".
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth alleged that China was "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific."
He accused Beijing of seeking to "dominate and control" the region, while claiming that the Chinese military is actively "training every day and rehearsing for the real deal" about Taiwan.
The Pentagon chief’s statements come amid growing US military engagement in Asia, marked by expanded cooperation with Japan and the Philippines, and deeper defense ties with India.
"The United States is reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China," Hegseth said, underscoring Washington’s efforts to position itself as a security guarantor while escalating tensions with Beijing.
