US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly warned China during the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on the 31st of last month that any attempt to use force against Taiwan will face "disastrous consequences." He emphasized that “Communist China will not invade Taiwan under President Trump’s watch.”

Hegseth's speech is being viewed as the strongest stance on Taiwan since taking office, clearly stating that any military actions by Communist China will bring catastrophic effects to the Indo-Pacific region and the world. He asserted that “We will not sugarcoat the consequences. The threat posed by China is real and imminent.” He further mentioned that the US aims to ensure that China cannot dominate the US or its allies.

Regarding Hegseth's remarks, Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, pointed out this was the strongest stance a US Secretary of Defense has taken at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum and indicated that the core message from the US is that “Trump intends to maintain peace through strength.”