US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned of China posing an "imminent" threat to Taiwan, while urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry rebuked Hegseth's remarks, saying he invoked the "Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation" and "falsely" called China a "threat."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday delivered a dire warning to the Asia-Pacific region and the world: China’s designs on Taiwan pose a threat to global peace and stability that requires “our allies and partners do their part on defense.