Defense Secretary Pete Hegseeth used fight words against one of the American greatest opponents while the trade war escales between the US and China.
The Pentagon Chief appeared on Fox & Friends on Fox & Friends, claimed that the US is 'prepared' to wage war with China.
Hegseeth made the comments in response to a question about a message about X by the Chinese embassy in the US
At the end of Tuesday, the Embassy X account wrote on X 'as a war is what the US wants, whether it is a rate war, a trade war or another kind of war, we are ready to fight until the end.'
Hegseeth shot back on Wednesday morning.
“Well, we are prepared. Those who long for peace must prepare for war, “the 44-year-old responded to Fox & Friends.
Hegseeth claimed: “That's why we have been rebuilt our army.”
“If we want to scare war with the Chinese or others, we must be strong and that President understands that peace comes through strength,” Hegseeth continued.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseeth said that the US is 'prepared' for war with China while the rhetoric warms up
Although the two countries have quickly escalated a trade war and words, Hegseeth argued that Trump has a 'great relationship' with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He said where the two countries can work together, they will and the president seeks peace and opportunities.
'But my job as Minister of Defense is to ensure that we are ready. We need the defense expenditure, the possibilities, the weapons and the attitude in the Indo-Pacific, which we are very focused on, “said Hegseeth.
This week, China announced that it will increase its defense budget by 7.2 percent, because it wants to modernize his army because it wants to exercise its dominance in the midst of geopolitical tension around the world.
China is the second largest savings of the army behind the US and has the world's largest navy.
Trump with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. Hegseeth argued that the couple still have a 'great relationship'
At the same time, the trade war between the two countries escalated dramatically this week after Trump this week doubled the rates that imposed it on Chinese imports to 20 percent.
Beijing responded with a maximum of 15 percent mutual rates at some American agricultural products.
Chinese officials have argued that the US use the flow of Fentanyl in the country as an excuse for imposing rates and have claimed that the US is only responsible for the fentanyl crisis.
Trump crashed China and claims that it must do more to clamp the fentanyl that makes its ways to the US from abroad.
The president also said that Mexico and Canada had to do better to tackle the fentanyl at the border when he set 25 percent rates for all imports from both countries and at the same time imposed extra rates on China.
But the White House could announce some tariff grant as soon as Wednesday.
