US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued one of his toughest warnings yet on China, claiming Beijing is rapidly building and testing its nuclear and conventional forces as it prepares the People’s Liberation Army for a potential major conflict centered on Taiwan by around 2027, a move he portrays as a direct strategic challenge to US security. He argues that China’s military drills, nuclear modernization, and coercive behavior in the Indo‑Pacific amount to a creeping “invasion” of American interests and influence, urging US allies to boost defense spending as Washington races to maintain deterrence and avoid an outright war. ​