<h1>US Defense Secretary Accused of Cold War Rhetoric, Escalating Tensions by Labeling China as a Threat to Regional Stability</h1> China strongly criticized a US Defense Secretary's remarks at a security conference, accusing him of promoting a Cold War mentality by labeling China a threat. The foreign ministry denounced the allegations as defamatory and claimed the United States is undermining regional peace. The official statement emphasized that China views the Taiwan issue as an internal matter and accused the US of escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region through military deployments and provocative rhetoric.