Beijing makes a formal protest after the words of the head of the Pentagon about “Chinese threat”

China submitted a formal protest towards the US in connection with the “slanderous statements” of the head of Pentagon Pete HegeSth – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing said on Sunday. The US Minister of Defense at the International Security Forum warned against the “Chinese threat” in the Asia and Pacific region.

The Foreign Affairs spokesman reported in a statement published on the ministry's website that the PRC expressed “regret (…) and the firm opposition to” HegeSeth's words, calling Washington to stop “deliberately undermining the regional peace and stability.”

Beijing accused the head of Pentagon that he was ignoring the appeals of the region for peace, use the rhetoric of the Cold War and “sowing divisions”. The communiqué stated that “the US is a real hegemon and the largest factor destabilizing peace in the Asia and Pacific region.” The ministry estimated that the United States “deploy offensive weapons and turns the region into a barrel of gunpowder”, indicating the distribution of American Typhon rocket launcher in the Philippines.

In terms of Taiwan, which China considers their rebellious province, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing emphasized that this is “the internal matter of China and no foreign country has the right to interfere with it.” It warned the United States so that they “did not play with fire”, and summoned them to stop supporting “forces seeking Taiwan's independence”.

In the Shangri-la dialogue security forum in Singapore HegeSeth on Saturday he accused China of “preparing for potential use of military force to change the balance of power” in the Asia and Pacific region. He appealed to “key allies” to increase defense expenses “in the face of an even more powerful threat.”

The communist authorities in Beijing recognize democratically ruled Taiwan as their territory and announced “reunification”, without excluding the use of force.

China, which on Shangri-la dialogue usually send their defense minister, this time sent a lower level delegation for the first time since 2019.

From Beijing Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)

KRP/ AKL/