Hegseth: China is carrying out its largest military buildup in the Pacific

What happened: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States is prepared to counter any effort to alter the status quo in the South China Sea and the Pacific, characterizing China’s activity as its largest military buildup in the Pacific. Attribution and source: The remark was reported by Tasnim and cited by the Iranian newspaper Etemad. Direct quote: Hegseth said, “We are ready to thwart any attempt to change the status quo in the South China Sea and the Pacific.”