Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shot back at China on Wednesday after the communist nation rattled sabers by stating it is prepared for "any type of war" with the U.S. following the start of President Donald Trump's additional tariffs on Chinese imports.
"We're prepared," Hegseth told Fox News, according to Blaze Media. "Those who long for peace must prepare for war. That's why we're rebuilding our military. That's why we're re-establishing deterrence in the warrior ethos. We live in a dangerous world with powerful, ascendant countries with very different ideology."
Trump on Tuesday implemented 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on China to pressure the countries to stop the influx of fentanyl into the U.S. China responded by imposing a 15% tariff on American agricultural goods.
During a news conference late Tuesday, China Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian reacted to the tariffs doubling to 20% by saying, "if war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end."
"We urge the U.S. to stop being domineering and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation at an early date," he said, adding that "the fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports" and that "if the U.S. truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China on the basis of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit to address each other's concerns."
Hegseth said China has been "rapidly increasing" its technology and defense spending. China reportedly said Wednesday that it will increase its defense budget 7.2% this year, to about $245 billion. The U.S. defense budget for the current fiscal year is approximately $850 billion. Still, the Pentagon and others believe China's defense budget is 40% higher or more because of items included under other budgets.
Hegseth said that Trump "understands that peace comes through strength."
"If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong," he said. "My job as the secretary of defense is to make sure we're ready. We need the defense spending, the capabilities, the weapons, and the posture in the Indo-Pacific, which is something we're very much focused [on]."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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