US will 'stoutly defend' its interests, defense secretary tells China
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned China the US will defend its interests in Asia as tensions grow over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
US President Donald Trump speaks with the media on the day of the signing of an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War", accompanied by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 5, 2025.(photo credit: REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER)ByREUTERSUpdated:
