WASHINGTON, April 29. /TASS/. Deterrence of China is the Pentagon’s second most important task that comes straight after the goal of defending the continental part of the United States, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said.
Hegseth said in his address to the US House Armed Services Committee that his department’s main task is "to protect our homeland."
"The second line of effort for the War Department is deterring China in the Indo-Pacific — through strength, not confrontation," he continued.
In his view, the relations between Washington and Beijing under President Donald Trump’s leadership "are better and stronger than they’ve been in many years."
"President Trump and this administration seek a stable peace, fair trade, and respectful relations with China," Hegseth added. "We’re not trying to dominate or humiliate them. Nor are we trying to change the status quo over Taiwan."
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after their defeat in China's civil war. Since then, Taipei has retained the flag and some other symbols of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland before the communists came to power. According to Beijing's official position, supported by most countries including Russia, Taiwan is one of the regions of the People's Republic of China. While recognizing the "One China" policy, the United States continues to maintain contacts with the Taipei administration and supply weapons to the island.
China estimates that US military aid to Taiwan has exceeded $70 billion over the past several years.