Pete Hegseth: US will go to war to stop China from taking Taiwan

[Daniel Nenni]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would take military action to stop China from invading Taiwan, outlining a defense policy that shifts strategic focus from Europe to Asia to deter what he called “an imminent threat” from Beijing.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday, Hegseth said the Trump administration is prioritizing the Indo-Pacific region as part of its effort to counter China’s growing military influence.

Indo-Pacific defense pivot
“President Trump has said that Communist China will not invade Taiwan on his watch,” Hegseth said. “So, our goal is to prevent war … and we will do this with a strong shield of deterrence …

But if deterrence fails, and if called upon by my commander-in-chief, we are prepared to do what the Department of Defense does best – fight and win — decisively.

Hegseth accused China of building up military capabilities at high speed and training regularly for an invasion of Taiwan. He cited intelligence that President Xi Jinping has directed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready for such an operation by 2027. He warned that any attempt to forcibly take Taiwan would have severe consequences for regional and global security.

China fires back
Chinese officials at the forum reiterated Beijing’s position on Taiwan, emphasizing that any attempt to separate the island from China would be met with firm opposition. Rear Adm. Hu Gangfeng, vice president of China’s National Defense University, dismissed U.S. accusations, calling them “attempts to provoke trouble, incite division and stir up confrontation to destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.”

“Hegseth’s remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow division. China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested strongly to the U.S.,” the ministry said.

Defense spending
At the summit, Hegseth further called on Indo-Pacific allies to significantly increase their defense budgets, suggesting targets of up to 5% of GDP. He emphasized the need for regional militaries to match China’s rapid modernization and deter potential aggression. He also warned against economic dependence on China, arguing it leaves countries vulnerable to coercion.

Citing NATO’s defense spending benchmarks, Hegseth urged partners to follow suit in Asia. The U.S. has reportedly asked Australia to raise its defense budget to 3.5% of GDP. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded that Australia would determine its own course, pointing to a 10 billion Australian dollars ($6.46 billion) military investment and a target of 2.4% by 2033–34.

Pete Hegseth: US will go to war to stop China from taking Taiwan

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. would take military action to stop China from invading Taiwan, outlining a defense policy that shifts strategic focus from Europe to Asia to deter what he called “an imminent threat” from Beijing. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on...

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[Barnsley]

Is this good or bad?

 

[hist78]

Is this good or bad?

It's good. Trump’s ambiguity about US policy toward CCP aggression against Taiwan is dangerous and could lead to a miscalculation by the CCP.

 

[Daniel Nenni]

Personally I think the semiconductor industry is worth protecting but that is just me. The positive about having an unpredictable president is that he is unpredictable. I remember Ronald Reagan's bomb Russia joke:

Before the speech, while Reagan was joking with NPR's audio engineers during a soundcheck, he riffed on his own speech, saying,

My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.[2]

This sort of levity was common for Reagan; he injected his humor into soundchecks, outtakes, and downtime throughout his careers in show business and politics.[3]

He was the first president I voted for when I turned 18. I thought he was hilarious! Do you remember Reaganomics? We called it Ramenomics in college because we had to eat Top Ramen to survive the budget cuts. The good old days...

 

[hist78]

Personally I think the semiconductor industry is worth protecting but that is just me. The positive about having an unpredictable president is that he is unpredictable. I remember Ronald Reagan's bomb Russia joke:

Before the speech, while Reagan was joking with NPR's audio engineers during a soundcheck, he riffed on his own speech, saying,

This sort of levity was common for Reagan; he injected his humor into soundchecks, outtakes, and downtime throughout his careers in show business and politics.[3]

He was the first president I voted for when I turned 18. I thought he was hilarious! Do you remember Reaganomics? We called it Ramenomics in college because we had to eat Top Ramen to survive the budget cuts. The good old days...

What Reagan did or said may not be suitable for today’s world. We’re not in Kansas anymore, and the US is no longer dealing with a weakened USSR. Instead, it’s facing a relatively strong CCP/PRC.

There is no longer room for strategic ambiguity.

 

[Daniel Nenni]

What Reagan did or said may not be suitable for today’s world. We’re not in Kansas anymore, and the US is no longer dealing with a weakened USSR. Instead, it’s facing a relatively strong CCP/PRC. There is no longer room for strategic ambiguity.

I remember practicing hiding under our desks in elementary school in case Russia bombed us. We built pretend fallout shelters. Seriously, this was in the 1960s and we were all pretty scared. This was in California by the way, not Kansas. Baby boomers, right?