China warns US not to ‘play with fire' over Taiwan
China has issued a sharp warning to the United States, urging it to refrain from escalating tensions over Taiwan. The statement came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled China a regional threat during a security forum in Singapore.
While addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, Hegseth claimed that Beijing is actively preparing for military operations aimed at altering the strategic balance in Asia, including potential plans for a Taiwan invasion.
Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland—by force if necessary. However, Taiwan’s democratically elected government maintains that the island is an independent entity and that its future should be determined solely by its people.
In response to Hegseth’s speech, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly reiterated that Taiwan is an internal affair, cautioning foreign powers against leveraging the issue to advance geopolitical agendas. The ministry criticized U.S. activities in the Asia-Pacific region, saying they risk transforming the area into a “powder keg.”
“The United States must abandon any illusions about using the Taiwan issue to constrain China,” the ministry stated. “Such behavior is playing with fire.”
Hegseth also urged regional partners, including Australia, to boost defense spending in light of what he described as a serious and potentially imminent threat from China.
Beijing fired back, accusing Washington of fueling instability in the Asia-Pacific by deploying offensive military systems in the South China Sea and escalating regional tensions. Chinese officials further condemned Hegseth’s remarks as “baseless slander” rooted in a Cold War mindset.
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