U.S. Pentagon official Pete Hegseth delivered a stern warning to China during his first telephone conversation with Chinese defense chief Admiral Dong Jun, telling Beijing that Washington has “vital interests in the Asia‑Pacific” and will “resolutely protect those interests,” the Pentagon said.
The call took place Sept. 9 and was made public Wednesday. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth “forthrightly relayed” U.S. concerns but also emphasized that the United States does not seek conflict with China and is not pursuing regime change or the strangulation of the People’s Republic of China. Parnell described the exchange as “candid and constructive,” and said the two defense chiefs agreed to conduct further discussions.
The call followed a high‑profile military parade in Beijing last week during which President Xi Jinping appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Xi used the event to hail China’s military modernization and to say the People’s Liberation Army would “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.” Chinese state media and parade coverage highlighted advanced weapons, including a full nuclear triad, hypersonic missiles and new stealth drones.
U.S. officials have expressed concern that China’s stated goal of modernizing the PLA by 2027, the centennial of the force, could coincide with preparations that raise the risk of military coercion against Taiwan. The Pentagon did not specify whether Taiwan was directly discussed on the call but framed Hegseth’s comments as relating to U.S. priorities in the Asia‑Pacific, which it called “the priority theater.”
The phone call also came amid a deepening of security ties between Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang. U.S. authorities have accused North Korea of supplying munitions to Russia for use in Ukraine, and have sanctioned Chinese firms alleged to have helped Russia evade Western export controls. Chinese leaders have publicly underscored closer military and political coordination with Russia and North Korea, a development Washington views as destabilizing.
Fox News Digital reported that the Chinese embassy was contacted for comment on the call but did not immediately respond. Parnell’s account of the exchange said Hegseth made clear Washington’s position while leaving a channel open for continued communication at senior defense levels.
The military showcase in Beijing came two months after the United States staged a parade to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The sequence of events — major displays of military capability in both capitals, closer strategic ties among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang, and high‑level diplomatic exchanges — underscores a volatile security environment that U.S. officials say requires careful management and clear lines of communication.
Separately, former President Donald Trump has publicly accused Beijing of conspiring against the United States and has indicated he might meet with Xi Jinping as trade negotiations continue. There was no announcement that Hegseth and Admiral Dong set a date for a follow‑up conversation, only that both sides agreed to continue talks to address mutual concerns.
Officials on both sides have framed the Sept. 9 call as an attempt to balance deterrence with dialogue amid rising tensions driven by military modernization, arms transfers and geopolitical alignments in the region.