China issued a warning to the United States on Saturday about “playing with fire” concerning the Taiwan issue, stressing that it has lodged “protests” with Washington following a speech delivered by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a security forum in Singapore.
In a statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, “The United States should not attempt to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to contain China, and it must refrain from reckless actions.” The ministry further noted that it had submitted formal protests to the U.S. regarding Hegseth’s remarks.