A Chinese military attack on Taiwan may be imminent. This was stated at the Asian security forum "Shangri-La Dialogue" in Singapore by Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth.
"Xi has ordered his military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. The Chinese army is creating the necessary armed forces for this, preparing for this every day and rehearsing real actions," said Hegseth, quoted by the Strana newspaper.
Hegseth called on US allies in the Indo-Pacific region to increase defense spending to "contain Beijing."
"There's no reason to sugarcoat it. The threat posed by China is real, and it may be inevitable. We hope not, but it definitely can be," he added.
The head of the Pentagon also called the Indo-Pacific region a "priority theater of military operations" for the United States.
Beijing, which, unlike in previous years, did not send its defense minister to the forum, has already responded to Hegseth, accusing him of trying to "split, provoke confrontation and inflame the region."
Hegseth's statements are "fabrications that turn black and white", he is "a thief shouting: "Stop the thief!"," said Rear Admiral Hu Ganfeng.
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