China has issued a fiery response to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, calling his remarks “provocative” and accusing Washington of reviving a “Cold War mentality”. 🇺🇸🇨🇳 The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the U.S. is “turning the Asia-Pacific into a powder keg” through military deployments and support for Taiwan region separatists.
Cold War 2.0? ❄️
The spokesperson criticized Hegseth for ignoring regional calls for peace, instead “vilifying China with defamatory allegations”. China doubled down on its stance that the U.S. remains the “primary factor undermining Asia-Pacific stability” through its Indo-Pacific strategy and South China Sea operations.
Taiwan Tensions Flare 🚨
Addressing the Taiwan question, China warned: “The U.S. must never play with fire.” 🔥 The statement emphasized that Taiwan is China's “internal affair” and demanded an end to U.S. support for “separatist forces”.
South China Sea Showdown 🌊
While defending China's maritime activities as lawful, the spokesperson accused the U.S. of being the “real disruptor” of peace in the contested waters. The remarks come as regional leaders push for dialogue over confrontation.
Young professionals and travelers tracking Asia-Pacific geopolitics are watching closely as these tensions could impact everything from tech supply chains to regional travel security. 📉✈️
