China has reacted strongly to US accusations of military preparations to invade Taiwan, stressing that the issue is an internal one

<p>Following US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's statements accusing China of preparations for an invasion of Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry protested, stressing that Taiwan is an "internal matter" in which other countries should not interfere. Beijing warned the US not to use Taiwan as a bargaining tool and condemned the militarization of the South China Sea. China considers the autonomous island part of its territory and does not rule out using force to control it.