The US secretary of defence used his speech at an annual security forum on Saturday to warn that China was "credibly preparing" to use military force to upend the balance of power in Asia, AFP reported.
He added that the Chinese military was building the capabilities to invade Taiwan and "rehearsing for the real deal".
In a statement released just after midnight, China's foreign ministry said it had "lodged solemn representations with the US side" over Hegseth's comments, adding that it "strongly deplores" his remarks.
"The US should not try to use the Taiwan issue as a bargaining chip to contain China and should not play with fire," it said.
Beijing, which did not send its defense minister Dong Jun to the Singapore summit, called the "Taiwan issue" China's "internal affair" and said foreign countries had no right to interfere.
MNA
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