Taking aim at what he called China's "destabilizing actions," Hegseth said the U.S. should be prepared for war, although deterring Chinese military aggression by raising its costs was preferable.

Manila's defense chief told "60 Minutes" the presence of U.S. medium-range missiles on Philippine soil are "none of China's business." ...

China has been adding about 100 nuclear warheads to its arsenal every year since 2023, per SIPRI. The think tank said China could have as many ICBMs as the US or Russia by 2030.

US President Donald Trump claims he has reached a deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping that will keep tariffs at 55 percent and ensure the US gets rare earth minerals.