Latest news with #PeteHesgeth
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: US covertly planning attack on China from South Korean base
American forces stationed in South Korea are prepared to respond to a potential Chinese invasion of the Taiwan Area. Speaking at a security conference in Singapore last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hesgeth (pictured) said: 'Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,' adding that the Pentagon was 'reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China.' No decision has been made on the number of troops deployed to South Korea, but any future footprint would be optimized not only to defend against Pyongyang but also to deter China. But this development could pose a challenge for South Korea, who have historically been opposed to the presence of US military. It also presents issues for the newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (pictured), who said he wants to engage with North Korea with the backing of US troops. It comes after China deployed dozens of warships and planes to encircle the island nation of Taiwan in menacing, large-scale war games last month. Chilling satellite pictures also revealed what appear to be Beijing's 'invasion barges' - gargantuan platforms that connect to form a mobile pier that could enable thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles to land on Taiwan's shores. The multi-day military drills forced Taipei to respond by scrambling fighter jets and warships of their own to dissuade any overzealous members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from posing a serious threat. But these alarming exercises were just the latest addition to a worrying trend that has seen Beijing grow increasingly aggressive toward its island neighbour in recent years. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by authoritarian President Xi Jinping, sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing's control, by force if necessary. Taiwan's elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presides over a self-governing, democratic society and has sought close ties with the US, hoping its political, military and economic heft will keep Xi's expansionist tendencies at bay. American deterrence, the reliance of China's export economy on the West and the cost of a military operation to seize Taiwan has led most analysts to suggest Beijing is more likely to use less direct means to pressure Taipei. But politicians, military chiefs and industry leaders the world over can no longer afford to ignore the prospect of a full-scale invasion - a scenario which would shake the foundations of the world as we know it and could well trigger a Third World War. Now, as Donald Trump pushes Taiwan to pay more for its defence while slapping it with significant trade tariffs, concern is growing that the US President may begin treating Taipei - as one analyst put it - 'as a pawn to trade with China to achieve his interests'.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
US ‘is secretly planning to attack China from its South Korea base in the event of a Taiwan invasion'
American forces stationed in South Korea are prepared to respond to a potential Chinese invasion of the Taiwan Area. Speaking at a security conference in Singapore last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hesgeth said: ' Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,' adding that the Pentagon was 'reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China.' This would mean that US troops stationed in South Korea, as well as Japan and the Pacific Islands of Hawaii and Guam, would play a part in acting as a credible deterrent against China for any potential attack on Taiwan. There are currently 28,500 American troops deployed to South Korea as part of the US long-term commitment to help defend Seoul from any attack from North Korea. No decision has been made on the number of troops deployed to South Korea, but any future footprint would be optimized not only to defend against Pyongyang but also to deter China. But this development could pose a challenge for South Korea, who have historically been opposed to the presence of US military. It also presents issues for the newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who said he wants to engage with North Korea with the backing of US troops. It comes after China deployed dozens of warships and planes to encircle the island nation of Taiwan in menacing, large-scale war games last month. Chilling satellite pictures also revealed what appear to be Beijing's 'invasion barges' - gargantuan platforms that connect to form a mobile pier that could enable thousands of soldiers and hundreds of vehicles to land on Taiwan's shores. The multi-day military drills forced Taipei to respond by scrambling fighter jets and warships of their own to dissuade any overzealous members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from posing a serious threat. But these alarming exercises were just the latest addition to a worrying trend that has seen Beijing grow increasingly aggressive toward its island neighbour in recent years. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by authoritarian President Xi Jinping, sees Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought back under Beijing's control, by force if necessary. Taiwan's elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presides over a self-governing, democratic society and has sought close ties with the US, hoping its political, military and economic heft will keep Xi's expansionist tendencies at bay. American deterrence, the reliance of China's export economy on the West and the cost of a military operation to seize Taiwan has led most analysts to suggest Beijing is more likely to use less direct means to pressure Taipei. But politicians, military chiefs and industry leaders the world over can no longer afford to ignore the prospect of a full-scale invasion - a scenario which would shake the foundations of the world as we know it and could well trigger a Third World War.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuts to staff, budget will boost military strength, Hegseth says
Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth on Thursday defended looming staff cuts and budget reforms as necessary to refocus the military on its core missions, promising the efforts will produce 'the biggest, most bad-ass military on the planet.' In a video message released Thursday evening, Hegseth also lashed out at critics and the media for misrepresenting the pending moves as cuts to the military. He said President Donald Trump is committed to increasing resources for the armed forces, following through on campaign promises to boost defense spending. 'Beginning right away, we are pulling around 8%, or $50 billion, from [former President Joe Biden's] budget plans,' he said. 'We will move away from woke, non-lethal programs and instead spend that money on President [Donald] Trump's priorities for our national budget. 'We're asking the services to plan. It's not a cut. It's refocusing and reinvesting existing funds into building a force that protects you, the American people.' White House eyes 8% cut to defense budget to boost Trump priorities On Wednesday, acting Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Salesses released a statement acknowledging that military agency leaders had been ordered to cut 8% from their initial fiscal 2026 Defense Department budget plans. That budget outline had been expected to top $850 billion. The news drew significant concern from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who were also informed that the moves could include an annual 8% cut for the next five years. But Hegseth in his video said that any savings would be reinvested into other areas of the defense budget. He also said numerous security priorities — such as southwest border activities, nuclear modernization efforts, Virginia-class submarine procurement, cybersecurity efforts and core readiness training — would not face any budget reductions. 'This is great news for taxpayers and for our national security,' he said. Hegseth did acknowledge that the department is working closely with officials from the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has spearheaded efforts to dramatically slash staffing at a number of federal agencies. The defense secretary indicated that civilian worker staff cuts will come to his department soon, but said he believes the work will make military operations more efficient without compromising readiness. 'Bottom line, it is simply not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission critical, and to restore accountability within the federal workforce,' he said. 'Taxpayers deserve to have us take a really thorough look at our workforce top to bottom, and to see where we can find and eliminate redundancy.' Hegseth said officials would start with 'poor performers amongst our probationary employees,' although dismissal efforts at other federal agencies have largely focused on job seniority and not worker performance. He also promised that military leaders will 'hire and reward hard-working employees who are central to the core fighting mission.' Hegseth did not take any direct questions from reporters after the video's release. He also did not address rumors of plans to fire top military officials viewed by Trump administration officials as too closely connected to the last president.
