China Threat to Taiwan: A Stark Warning from the US
At the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued one of the strongest warnings yet on the China threat to Taiwan. In his powerful address to Asian defence leaders, he labelled Beijing’s military intentions as not only serious but imminent, urging Indo-Pacific nations to increase their defence capabilities in coordination with the United States.
Hegseth’s comments come at a tense moment in regional geopolitics, as China continues its military assertiveness, especially around Taiwan—a self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its own and has not ruled out taking by force.
Hegseth Warns of Imminent China Threat to Taiwan [Credit: AFP]
A Rising Hegemon: China’s Growing Military Posture
Hegseth painted a picture of an emboldened and increasingly militarised China aiming for dominance in the Indo-Pacific. He noted, “Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.” He referenced a 2027 timeline, widely cited by US intelligence, in which President Xi Jinping is believed to want China’s military ready for a possible invasion of Taiwan.
Though Beijing has never confirmed such a deadline, Hegseth stressed, “China is building the military needed to do it, training for it every day and rehearsing for the real deal.”
These developments, according to Hegseth, threaten not just Taiwan but the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region. “The threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent,” he warned, without equivocation.
US Commitment to Asia: ‘We’re Here to Stay’
While asserting the China threat to Taiwan, Hegseth reassured Asian allies that the United States is deeply committed to the region’s stability. “We will not be pushed out of this critical region,” he declared, adding that the US seeks neither domination nor conflict but will act if its allies are threatened.
He invoked a vision of regional partnership built on shared values, strategic cooperation, and collective deterrence. “Here in the Indo-Pacific, our futures are bound together,” Hegseth said. “We are here to stay.”
This message was delivered with added weight by the notable absence of a senior Chinese official from the event—China instead sent a lower-level delegation and cancelled its scheduled speech.
While asserting the China threat to Taiwan, Hegseth reassured Asian allies that the United States is deeply committed to the region’s stabilit. [Image showing new PLA Air Force pilots at Xi’an Flight Academy prepare J-7 jets for flight training on 26 Jan 2019. (Photo: Cui Baoliang, eng.chinamil.com.cn)]
Military Collaboration and ‘Tough Love’
Hegseth didn’t mince words when it came to financial responsibility. Drawing parallels with NATO’s rising defence budgets, he challenged Asian nations to increase military spending to at least match Europe’s momentum. “Europe is stepping up. US allies in the Indo-Pacific can, and should, follow by quickly upgrading their own defences,” he insisted.
He advocated for a shift from dependence to partnership: “We ask, and indeed we insist, that our allies and partners do their part on defence.”
Backing these calls was news of a new Indo-Pacific defence industrial partnership, with early projects including a radar repair hub in Australia and expanded drone production capacity in the region.
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Economic Ties as a Tool of Influence
Hegseth also warned of China’s use of economic interdependence as strategic leverage. He urged Asian nations to be cautious in expanding economic ties with Beijing, cautioning that such relationships could deepen “malign influence” and complicate shared security goals.
This warning echoes the Trump administration’s broader concern that Beijing leverages its economic might to pressure countries into political and strategic submission.
A Vision of ‘Common Sense’ Foreign Policy
The speech also offered insight into the Trump administration’s evolving foreign policy tone. Hegseth positioned this approach as one of “common sense”, not interventionism. “We are not here to preach to you about climate change or cultural issues,” he said. “We respect you, your traditions and your militaries.”
While aiming to project strength, this position was also meant to distance the US from the moralising tone often criticised in prior administrations’ foreign policy strategies.
China Fires Back: ‘Provocations and Instigation’
China’s response was swift and scathing. The Chinese embassy in Singapore labelled Hegseth’s remarks “steeped in provocations and instigation,” accusing the US of playing up the China threat to Taiwan to justify its own military expansion.
The embassy insisted the US was the region’s “biggest troublemaker,” citing the deployment of US weapons in the South China Sea and surveillance around what it calls “Chinese islands and reefs.”
It ended its statement on a sceptical note: “We’ve heard it. Let’s see what moves [the US] will take.”
Regional Reactions: A Balancing Act
While Washington’s message was blunt, reactions across Asia are likely to be more nuanced. Ian Chong of Carnegie China noted that although US calls for increased defence spending are not new, “the Trump administration is more insistent and demands more.”
Some Asian countries may appreciate the security umbrella provided by the US but remain cautious of being drawn into a binary US-China confrontation. Others, such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines, are already deepening their defence ties with Washington amid rising concerns.
Conclusion: The Stakes Are High
Pete Hegseth’s blunt warning about the China threat to Taiwan comes at a defining moment for Indo-Pacific security. As China continues to grow both economically and militarily, nations across Asia must grapple with an urgent question: how to preserve sovereignty and peace without becoming pawns in a superpower showdown.
For now, the US has thrown down the gauntlet—pledging support, urging unity, and pressing for readiness. But whether Asia will respond with matching resolve remains to be seen.
