U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned China is rehearsing for a potential invasion of Taiwan during a defense forum over the weekend, prompting a response from Chinese officials.

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,

China has denounced U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for calling the Asian country a threat, accusing him of touting a Cold War mentality

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,

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China’s threat to Taiwan “could be imminent,” in what was his most assertive statement to date on Taiwan during a security conference in Singapore.