China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun issued a stern warning to the US against any attempts to “contain, deter, or interfere with China” saying they would not succeed, during a defence dialogue with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. The US said that is certainly not seeking a regime change in China.
The two officials discussed Taiwan, the South China Sea, and broader military ties at a time of heightened regional unease in South Asia, including recent unrest in Nepal.
Speaking in a video call on Tuesday, Dong repeated Beijing’s opposition to any US role in Taiwan’s defence. “Any attempt or interference to use force to support independence or use Taiwan to contain China will be thwarted,” he said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
China maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of military force to bring the island under its control.
Washington, while officially maintaining a “one China” policy, remains Taiwan’s primary arms supplier and has pledged to help the island country defend itself if attacked.
On the South China Sea, Dong accused “certain countries” of provoking tensions and said nations outside the region were deliberately stirring disorder.
Beijing claims sovereignty over nearly all of the waterway, a position challenged by several Southeast Asian states.
The US, which rejects China’s expansive claims, continues to send naval vessels through the contested waters in what it calls “freedom of navigation” operations — a practice China strongly objects to.
Despite these pointed remarks, Dong said Beijing was open to stable military engagement with Washington.
He called on the US to build an equal, respectful, peacefully coexistent, stable and positive military-to-military relationship and to recognise China’s core interests.
The Pentagon described the exchange as candid and constructive.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, “Hegseth emphasised that the US does not seek conflict with China nor is it pursuing regime change or strangulation of the PRC (People’s Republic of China)”.
“At the same time, however, he made clear that the United States has vital interests in the Asia-Pacific — its priority theater — and will resolutely protect those interests,” Parnell added.
Hegseth also reaffirmed US support for peace in the Taiwan Strait and free access to international waters, key tenets of Washington’s security policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Both ministers agreed to hold further talks, signalling that while major disputes remain unresolved, both capitals see value in keeping communication channels open.
The exchange underscores the fragile balance in US-China relations, where open rivalry continues, but dialogue has not been abandoned.
THE NEPAL UNREST
The talks assume significance as they have come against the backdrop of the violent Gen Z protests against rampant corruption and the now-withdrawn social media ban in Nepal, which brought about a change of regime in the Himalayan nation after just two days of unrest.
Experts believe that the Nepal churn may be a US-China proxy war for supremacy in South Asia playing out.
This is because ousted Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was considered a pro-China leader and was about to visit India later this month as New Delhi has come closer to Beijing amid a strain in ties with the US over Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs.
In recent years, India’s neighbouring Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have witnessed similar protests led by youngsters that have resulted in a change of regime.
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