By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-05 18:41:38 | Updated at 2025-03-06 03:43:20
9 hours ago
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used fighting words against one of the U.S. biggest adversaries as the trade war between the U.S. and China escalates.
Appearing on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning, the Pentagon chief claimed the U.S. is 'prepared' to go to war with China.
Hegseth made the comments in response to a question about a post on X by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.
Late Tuesday the embassy X account wrote on X '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.'
On Wednesday morning, Hegseth fired back.
'Well, we're prepared. Those who long for peace must prepare for war,' the 44-year-old responded on Fox & Friends.
Hegseth claimed 'that's why we're rebuilding our military.'
'If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong, and that president understands peace comes through strength,' Hegseth continued.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is 'prepared' for war with China as the rhetoric heats up
While the two countries have rapidly escalated a trade war and war of words, Hegseth argued that Trump has a 'great relationship' with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He said where the two countries can cooperate, they will and the president is seeking peace and opportunities.
'But 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,' Hegseth said.
China announced this week it will increase its defense budget by 7.2 percent as it looks to modernize its military as it looks to exert its dominance amid geopolitical tension around the world.
China is the second largest spender on the military behind the U.S. and has the world's largest navy.
Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. Hegseth argued the pair still have a 'great relationship'
At the same time, the trade war between the two countries dramatically escalated this week after Trump this week doubled the tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports to 20 percent.
Beijing responded with up to 15 percent reciprocal tariffs on some U.S. farm goods.
Chinese officials have argued that the U.S. is using the flow of fentanyl into the country as an excuse to impose tariffs and have argued the U.S. alone is responsible for its fentanyl crisis.
Trump has blasted China, claiming it needs to do more to clamp down on the fentanyl making its ways to the U.S. from overseas.
The president also said Mexico and Canada needed to do a better job of addressing the fentanyl at the border when he slapped 25 percent tariffs on all imports from both countries at the same time he imposed additional tariffs on China this week.
But the White House could announce some tariff carveouts as soon as Wednesday.
