U.S. warns about China's plans in Taiwan and calls on Asia for more investment in defense

Bangkok, May 31 (EFE).- U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned this Saturday at the main security forum in Asia about alleged "imminent" plans by China to invade Taiwan, while underlining Washington's commitment to security alliances with its Indo-Pacific partners, whom he asked for more investment in defense.

The Pentagon chief addressed defense representatives from dozens of countries participating since yesterday and until Sunday in Singapore in the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue, where the U.S. remains a key pillar and Hegseth's speech was expected with anticipation.

"China has shown that it wants to alter the status quo" of the region, stated the former Fox News presenter, who added: "We cannot look the other way and ignore it," referring to Beijing's operations in the strategic South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely, and in Taiwan.

Hegseth referred to Beijing's alleged intention to invade the autonomous island in 2027, a key point in chip production that China considers a rebel province and which the U.S. would in principle defend.

"Let me be clear: any attempt by the (Chinese) Communist Party to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world (...) The threat from China is real. And it could be imminent," he emphasized.

The United States "is not seeking a conflict with communist China, but we will not be driven out of this critical Indo-Pacific region," he clarified.

In this sense, he linked his warnings about China with messages to reassure his allies - including the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Australia - that the Indo-Pacific remains a "priority" for the U.S.

"America first does not mean America alone," he said, and took the opportunity to ask his partners for more spending on security.

"Our defense spending must reflect the dangers and threats we face, because deterrence is not cheap. It makes no sense for countries in Europe to do so while key allies in Asia spend less on defense in the face of formidable threats, including North Korea."

"Our goal is to prevent war, to make the cost too high and peace the only option," he added.

"In fact, we are here this morning, and someone is not," he emphasized, alluding to the absence of Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.

Without China

The decision by China's Ministry of Defense to send a delegation from the National Defense University to the Shangri-La instead of Dong after years of attendance by the security portfolio holder was one of the surprises of a forum held since 2002, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

"China attaches great importance to this forum. It has sent many delegations, each year at different levels. It's normal. It will not affect our strategy" in the area, defended General Hu Gangfeng, a member of the Chinese university delegation, in one of the panels.

Sin Dong, unexplained absence by Beijing, the Shangri-La loses this year the opportunity of the usual meeting between the Defense chiefs of the superpowers and the routine of the forum is unbalanced, in which traditionally Sunday was dedicated to the Chinese minister developing his security strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

Inaugurated on Friday by French President Emmanuel Macron, the meeting was in part reduced to an appointment with the U.S. and Europe, also represented by the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.

Kallas also warned today about China, but with the focus on the contributions of the Asian power and North Korea to Russia in its war against Ukraine, a challenge to global security "extremely worrying," he said.

The former Estonian Prime Minister alluded to the links between China, which is accused of providing military technology to Moscow, and North Korea, which has sent soldiers to fight in the Russian ranks, to underscore the security interdependencies between Europe and Asia.

"I want to emphasize - he commented - that the security of Europe and that of the Indo-Pacific are closely linked."

Regarding the U.S. pressure on Europe to spend more on security, Kallas said that it is "better" than the absence of support or relationship, when both parties negotiate Washington's tariffs.

Regarding this other war in commerce, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, spoke on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which his country is presiding over this year.

The group, he said, does not believe in "retaliatory tariffs" against the U.S., but in "listening and communicating" to reduce trade tensions with Washington.

Even so, he pointed out: "We do not support any unilateral action against the principle of free trade." EFE