US says prepared ‘to go to war’ with China
The Pentagon chief has declared that the United States was "prepared" to go to war with China following Beijing's assertion that it would stand up to whatever further hostile measures that Washington could take against it.
"We're prepared," Pete Hegseth said during an interview on Fox News' Fox & Friends on Wednesday.
He stressed the importance of the US’s military readiness, and alleged, "Those who long for peace must prepare for war."
Hegseth claimed the United States needed to strengthen its military to engage in potential conflicts, citing China's rapid defense advancements, which he framed as a threat, as well as, what he called, Beijing’s aspirations to challenge Washington’s global standing.
"We need the defense spending, the capabilities, the weapons, and the posture in the Indo-Pacific, which is something we're very much focused on," he added.
The comments came after China expressed its readiness to counter any form of conflict initiated by the US, including a trade or tariff war.
The escalation followed Trump's decision to double tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%, a move that the American administration tried to justify as a response to China's alleged inadequate efforts to control the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
In retaliation, China announced its own tariff increases, imposing 10% to 15% hikes on a range of American agricultural and food products.
Additionally, China placed 25 US firms under export and investment restrictions, citing national security concerns.
Announcing Beijing’s readiness to respond to Washington’s hostile attitude earlier on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned the latter’s aggressive actions, stating that the fentanyl issue was a "flimsy excuse" for raising tariffs on Chinese imports.
Lin emphasized that China's countermeasures were "fully legitimate and necessary," and denounced the US for being responsible for its own fentanyl crisis.
He then warned that China would fight "till the end" if the US persisted in waging a trade war.
The US-initiated trade dispute has, meanwhile, raised concerns about potential impacts on global markets.
Brushing off tensions with China at the same time as threatening military engagement with the country, however, Hegseth claimed that Trump maintained a "great relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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