Hegseth focused his warning on Beijing’s stance toward Taiwan, making the stakes clear for the broader region. “To be clear: any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world,” he said.

Pete Hegseth is sounding the alarm on China. “There’s no reason to sugarcoat it,” President Donald Trump’s defense secretary said at a summit in Singapore. “The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.