US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Saturday that China was “credibly preparing” to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, vowing the United States was “here to stay” in the Indo-Pacific region.

China has denounced U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for calling the Asian country a threat, accusing him of touting a Cold War mentality

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday in Singapore attempted to woo Asian defense leaders to Washington’s side as he warned of the “imminent” threat China poses to the Indo-Pacific region.

China deployed fleets larger than usual near Taiwan, the southern Japanese islands and the East and South China Seas.

In a world rattled by President Trump’s tariffs and his scorn for Western allies, the defense secretary struck a rare note of continuity on security partnerships.

China will not send its defense minister to this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, shunning a chance to meet his US and Asian counterparts as tensions simmer with Washington.

China has denounced U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for calling the Asian country a threat, accusing him of touting a Cold War mentality.

Asked why China’s defence minister skipped this year’s event, Rear Admiral Hu Gangfeng said it sends delegations of different levels each year and this should be seen as “part of normal operational arrangements”.