A Chinese defense spokesman on Thursday criticized the United States for attempting to turn the Asia-Pacific region into a "powder keg", which severely undermines regional security and well-being.

Zhang Xiaogang, the Defense Ministry spokesman, made these remarks during an online news briefing in response to US military plans to establish a large, pre-positioned stockpile of weapons and logistical supplies at Subic Bay, Philippines by 2026.

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Additionally, the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has called for the development of the 2025 National Defense Strategy that will prioritize deterring China in the "Indo-Pacific" region, according to the statement by the US Department of Defense last week.

Zhang said that the US repeatedly uses China as a pretext to maintain its own hegemonic interests, and accused the US of trying to turn the Asia-Pacific into a powder keg and certain countries into cannon fodder, which seriously harms the safety and well-being of the people in the region.

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"History has repeatedly shown that being an enemy of the US is dangerous, but being a friend could be fatal," he stressed.

"We urge relevant countries not to invite wolves into their homes or become pawns, thereby jeopardizing the hard-won peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," Zhang said.