China Warns U.S. Against “Playing with Fire” Over Taiwan

China on Sunday, June 1, 2025, issued a stern warning to the United States following recent remarks by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who described Beijing as posing an “imminent” threat to Taiwan.

The comments were made during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue.

Shangri-La Dialogue is a prominent security forum held annually in Singapore.

Hegseth’s comments have sparked sharp backlash from Chinese officials amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

During his address at the first plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies on Saturday, Hegseth warned that China represents a serious and immediate threat to the self-governing island of Taiwan.

He claimed that the Chinese military is actively preparing to invade the island by 2027.

He alleged that it is also conducting daily training exercises aimed at that objective.

“China is training for it every day,” he emphasized.

“Let me be clear: any attempt by Communist China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world.

“There’s no reason to sugarcoat it.

“The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent.”

In response, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement on Sunday, denouncing Hegseth’s speech as inflammatory and provocative.

“The Taiwan issue is purely China’s internal affair. No foreign country has the right to interfere,” the spokesperson asserted.

The official added that China was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the Pentagon chief’s remarks.

He accused the United States of using Taiwan as a tool to contain China’s rise.

“The U.S. should not use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to contain China and should not play with fire,” the statement warned.

Beijing further accused Washington of fueling tensions in the region by deploying offensive military assets in the South China Sea and encouraging regional instability.

The Chinese foreign ministry criticized the U.S. and its Western allies for supplying weapons to countries in Asia.

It claimed that this move by the US has transformed the Indo-Pacific into a “powder keg.”

It also rejected the narrative of increased Chinese aggression.

China asserted that it has always managed its maritime disputes through peaceful dialogue and under the framework of international law.

“There has never been any issue with freedom of navigation or overflight in the South China Sea,” the ministry added.

It emphasized that China maintains open lines of communication with neighboring countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia despite ongoing territorial disputes, and that it values regional peace and stability.

“China urges the U.S. to truly respect the efforts made by regional countries to safeguard peace and stability.

The U.S. should stop deliberately undermining regional harmony, exaggerating confrontations, and escalating tensions,” the statement continued.

China confirmed that it had lodged formal diplomatic complaints with the United States over Hegseth’s remarks.

It calls them dangerous and counterproductive.

In his speech, Hegseth also argued that China aims to “dominate and control” large parts of the Asia-Pacific.

He also warned that Washington would not tolerate any attempts by Beijing to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through force.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday night.

He drew a controversial comparison between the Taiwan dispute and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Macron questioned the international community’s response to potential future crises.

“If Putin can take territory in Ukraine without restriction or constraint, what might happen in Taiwan?

“What will you do the day something happens in the Philippines?” he asked.

China reacted sharply to Macron’s remarks.

The Chinese embassy in Singapore issued a public statement on Saturday via Facebook, dismissing the French president’s analogy as inappropriate and misleading.

The embassy accused Macron of using “double standards.”

It insisted that the Taiwan and Ukraine situations were “entirely different in nature and not comparable at all.”

It reiterated that Taiwan is an integral part of China and that the matter of reunification is a domestic issue.

Beijing maintains that it seeks peaceful reunification with Taiwan.

However, it has warned that any formal declaration of independence by Taiwanese officials would cross a red line.

The majority of the global community recognizes the “One-China” policy.

On the other hand, China remains deeply frustrated with certain Western countries that maintain unofficial ties with Taipei.

China alleges that they continue to sell arms to the island, and Beijing views as interference in its sovereignty.

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