China on Pentagon leak: Countries becoming "cannon fodder for US hegemony"

Berliner Zeitung China on Pentagon leak: Countries becoming "cannon fodder for US hegemony" Simon Zeise • 6 hours • 3 minutes read China reacted angrily on Monday to statements by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. On Saturday, the Washington Post reported on a memorandum circulated by Hegseth at the Pentagon, in which he called for the US armed forces to be able to prepare for and win a war against China. On Sunday, Hegseth doubled down on this, describing Japan as an indispensable partner for the US in the fight against "Chinese aggression" during a visit to Tokyo. "By labeling China a threat and using it as a pretext, the US is stoking ideological antagonism, fueling division and confrontation, and even instigating certain countries to become cannon fodder for US hegemony," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Monday. Hegseth wants to reorient the American military. The priorities now are to prevent China's occupation of Taiwan and to strengthen the US defense by having Europe and other allies assume their "risks" alone. The US should no longer guarantee their security. This is according to a secret internal guide written by the conservative Heritage Foundation, which contains some passages that are almost verbatim copies of texts published by the think tank last year. Although Hegseth did not directly call on Japan on Sunday to increase its defense spending, he expressed confidence that Japan would correctly assess "what capabilities are needed." The country is an "exemplary ally," and the US has no doubt that this will continue. "But we both also recognize that everyone must do more," Hegseth continued. The force planning concept in Hegseth's memorandum only envisages a conflict with Beijing when calculating contingencies for a war between major powers. A threat from Russia should be largely considered by European allies. The memo details the implementation of preparing for and winning a potential war against Beijing and protecting the United States from threats in the "near abroad," including Greenland and the Panama Canal. The first Trump administration and the Biden administration identified China as the greatest threat to the United States and organized their armed forces to prepare for and prevent conflicts in the Indo-Pacific. The region is economically important. China ships more than 80 percent of its goods and oil imports through the South China Sea. Interest in the region is likely to increase in the future. The Chinese state-owned oil company CNOOC announced on Monday that it had discovered a new oil field in the eastern South China Sea containing more than 100 million tons of oil. While China has claimed the South China Sea as its own territory since 1949, the United States intends to ensure that large parts of the area are considered international territorial waters. The strategy outlined by Hegseth differs from those of previous administrations. It describes a Chinese invasion of Taiwan as the sole trigger scenario, which must take precedence over other potential threats. The comprehensive architecture of the US military should be expanded beyond homeland defense to include the Indo-Pacific. The US Secretary of Defense recently traveled to the Pacific region to emphasize his priorities vis-à-vis China. He told soldiers on Guam that they were "the spearhead" of American military operations. China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo said on Monday that the US should abandon the illusion of using Taiwan to contain China. Washington should also recognize the One China Policy, according to which Taiwan is considered an integral part of the People's Republic.