China criticized the United States on Sunday for having a "Cold War mentality" after Pete Hegseth appeared to warn that the U.S. is prepared to go to war to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific.

China has protested to the United States against "vilifying" remarks made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the foreign ministry said on Sunday, while accusing it of deliberately ignoring calls for peace from regional nations.

China lodged a protest over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s speech at a defense forum in Singapore on Saturday, even as Beijing chose not to send its top military diplomat to the annual event. Hegseth chided China during the Shangri-La Dialogue,

China has lashed out at U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth following his remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where he warned that China could imminently use military force against Taiwan.

China has accused the US of "fear-mongering" after Donald Trump’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth said a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could be imminent.China's foreign ministry objected to Mr Hegseth calling it a threat in the Indo-Pacific,

In his opening remarks, Hegseth warned China seeks no less than hegemony over the region and is increasingly willing to resort to force. He cited confrontations in the South China Sea, including incidents in which China's coast guard used water cannon against Philippine vessels, injuring several people last year.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday in Singapore attempted to woo Asian defense leaders to Washington’s side as he warned of the “imminent” threat China poses to the Indo-Pacific region. Hegseth,

In a world rattled by President Trump’s tariffs and his scorn for Western allies, the defense secretary struck a rare note of continuity on security partnerships.