His comments come amid increasing hostilities between Washington and Beijing, with China previously warning it was ready for “any form of war” if the U.S. continued its economic confrontations.

United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US is "prepared" for war with China, as tensions between the two nations continue to rise over trade disputes and military posturing.

Hegseth made the remarks on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning, stressing the importance of military readiness.

His comments come amid increasing hostilities between Washington and Beijing, with China previously warning it was ready for “any form of war” if the U.S. continued its economic confrontations.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry had declared its firm stance against what it described as Washington’s aggressive trade policies.

Hegseth stated, “Well, we’re prepared. Those who long for peace must prepare for war.

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

“We need the defense spending, the capabilities, the weapons and the posture in the Indo-Pacific, which is something we’re very much focused on.”

His remarks follow China’s repeated warnings regarding U.S. economic policies.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian had previously stated, “If the United States… persists in waging a tariff war, a trade war, or any other kind of war, the Chinese side will fight them to the bitter end.”

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. echoed this stance in a post on its X account on Wednesday, saying, “If war is what the U.S. wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end.”

Beijing’s strong rhetoric followed the Trump administration’s decision to increase tariffs on all Chinese imports from 10% to 20%. In response, China imposed a 15% tariff on U.S. agricultural products, including chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton, along with a 10% duty on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

China has also accused Washington of using the fentanyl crisis as an excuse to justify trade restrictions. Lin criticised the U.S. approach, saying, “The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. Our countermeasures to defend our rights and interests are fully legitimate and necessary.”

He further accused the U.S. of unfairly targeting China, stating, “Instead of recognising our efforts, the U.S. has sought to smear and shift blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes.

“They've been punishing us for helping them. This is not going to solve the U.S.'s problem and will undermine our counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation.”

Meanwhile, Canada has also retaliated against Trump’s trade measures, imposing 25% tariffs on a range of U.S. imports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned of the economic impact on Americans, saying, “Tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities.

“They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery store and gas at the pump.”