Pentagon: China prepping for war to dominate Indo-Pacific

He said this at a hearing in the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ukrinform reports.

"Beijing is preparing for a war in the Indo-Pacific region as part of its broader strategy to dominate there, and then in the world as a whole," the U.S. Secretary of Defense said.

He claims that if China succeeds in the region, it may try to disrupt the reindustrialization of the United States, and then strangle its economy.

"This should not happen, and my department will not allow this to happen," Hegseth assured.

At the same time, the Pentagon chief stressed that Washington seeks lasting peace in the Indo-Pacific region, so it will strengthen deterrence against China. However, the minister did not specify how this will be done.

"To ensure this peace and protect the key interests of the United States, the Department of Defense is focused like a laser on strengthening deterrence against China in the Indo-Pacific region," Hegseth concluded.

• On June 11, the United States and China agreed on a framework agreement to return to a trade truce and lift export restrictions on rare earth elements.