Military action: Hegseth in Singapore: China "rehearses for an emergency" regarding Taiwan

It is known that Chinese President Xi Jinping "has ordered his military to be capable of invading Taiwan by 2027," he said at the Shangri-La Security Conference in Singapore on Saturday. The Chinese military is building up its forces, "practicing every day and rehearsing for the worst case scenario," Hegseth added.

There are "clear and credible" signs that Beijing is "preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, warning: "The threat from China is real and could be imminent." The People's Republic wants to "dominate and control" Asia.

Hegseth called on the US's Asian allies to "rapidly increase their defense capabilities," adding that deterrence comes at a price.

The US Secretary of Defense also emphasized that the US would continue to maintain a military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. "America is proud to be back in the Indo-Pacific—and we will stay." The region is the US's highest priority, he said.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that it wants to reunify with the mainland—if necessary by military force. Washington is one of Taipei's most important allies. Over the past 50 years, the US has sold billions of dollars worth of military equipment and munitions to Taiwan, including F-16 fighter jets and warships.