Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be imminent, warns Pete Hegseth

Times

2 days ago

A Chinese invasion of Taiwan may be imminent, but European countries should leave Asian security to the United States and concentrate on the defence of Europe, the American defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said.
He warned Asian nations against accepting economic support from China and urged them to follow the example of European governments in committing to large increases in defence spending. His words will add to the growing sense, especially acute within Asia, that small and medium sized countries are under pressure to choose sides in a new Cold War confrontation between the US and China.
'It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,' Hegseth told a meeting of defence ministers and military officers in Singapore. 'The PLA [People's Liberation Army] is building the military needed to do it, training for it every day, and rehearsing for the real deal.'
Earlier this year China's army, the PLA, released footage of a military exercise directed towards the Taiwan Strait
He added: 'There's no reason to sugarcoat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent. We hope not, but it certainly could be.'
Hegseth's warning that an invasion of Taiwan could happen at any time goes beyond much independent expert assessment. China claims the self-ruling democratic island as its own sovereign territory, and reserves the right to 'reunify', by force if necessary.
In the past few years, the PLA has drastically increased military pressure on Taiwan, flying fighter jets and dispatching warships for almost daily exercises over the Taiwan Strait, which look more and more like preparations for invasion.
Xi Jinping has told his commanders to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027, although this appears to be a deadline for preparedness, not the scheduled date for an invasion. Despite their relatively small size, Taiwan's armed forces, equipped by the US, have the potential to make any assault difficult and costly for the PLA.
If Xi were to try, and fail, to overcome the island it would represent a political setback and humiliation which could fatally undermine his authority in the Chinese Communist Party and propel him from power.
'China seeks to become a hegemonic power in Asia, no doubt,' Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. 'It hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region… We cannot look away, and we cannot ignore it. China's behaviour toward its neighbours and the world is a wake-up call, and an urgent one.'
He urged Asian countries to increase defence spending, as European governments, have promised to do — yesterday, the British defence secretary John Healey indicated that Britain's budget would be raised to 3 percent of GDP. Hegseth has referred to European 'freeloading' on US military power, and joked about the 'tough love' that America had brought to bear on European governments.
'Many countries are tempted by the idea of seeking both economic cooperation with China and defence cooperation with the United States,' Hegseth said. 'But where are the levers that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) seeks with that entanglement? Economic dependence on China only deepens their malign influence and complicates our defence decision space during times of tension.'