U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a stark warning to America’s allies in Asia. Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore — an annual security summit attended by ministers, military officials and business leaders — Hegseth identified China as a growing military threat to the region.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry rebuked Hegseth's remarks, saying he invoked the "Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation" and "falsely" called China a "threat."