My job is to create and maintain decision space for President Trump, not to purport to make decisions on his behalf.”

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 hits back at Trump official Pete Hegseth for ‘sabre-rattling and fear-mongering’ - China says US defence secretary’s remarks at Shangri-La Dialogue were ‘intended to sow division’

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.

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.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday said a Chinese threat to Taiwan is “imminent” as he visited Singapore. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is also reportedly considering ways to revamp President Trump’s intelligent briefings.