“Don’t Play With Fire”: China Slams Trump Aide For Cold War Rhetoric And Provocative Taiwan Remarks

China has strongly condemned U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for labeling Beijing a threat and accused him of promoting a Cold War mentality. Beijing said Hegseth’s remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue were provocative and intended to stir division in the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned that the U.S. is the true hegemon destabilizing the region through military deployments. It also reiterated that Taiwan is an internal matter and urged Washington not to interfere or “play with fire.”