Pentagon chief says US is ‘prepared’ for war as China warn they are ready for ‘any type of war’

On Wednesday Beijing furiously responded to the US President Donald Trump over his 20% tariffs on Chinese imports.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused Trump of using Beijing’s exports of the fentanyl drug as “flimsy excuse” to bully China, The Times reported.

China’s foreign affairs ministry shared online yesterday, “Anyone using maximum pressure on China is picking the wrong guy and miscalculating.

“If the US truly wants to solve the fentanyl issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China by treating each other as equals.”

“In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the US. in dealing with the issue. Instead of recognising our efforts, the US has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes,” the statement read.

“They’ve been PUNISHING us for helping them. This is not going to solve the US’ problem and will undermine our counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation.”

China issued a statement using language not heard since the Cold War, they said, “Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us.

“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

The US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the US is “prepared” and “those who long for peace must prepare for war … That’s why we’re rebuilding our military.”

He told Fox News, “If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong, and [the] president understands peace comes through strength.”

The Pentagon chief said the Chinese President Xi Jingping and Trump have a “great” relationship despite the tariffs war.

He added, “But my job as the secretary of defence is to make sure we’re ready. We need the defence spending, the capabilities, the weapons and the posture in the Indo-Pacific, which is something we’re very much focused on.”

He said: “If we want to deter war with the Chinese or others, we have to be strong, and that president understands peace comes through strength.”