In an interview with Forbes, U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China is expanding its military power in the Pacific so rapidly that its rearmament program could become the largest in modern history.

According to Hegseth, Washington is preparing for a scenario in which Beijing attempts to alter the existing balance of power in the region. He said the Pentagon is focused on keeping U.S. forces ready for possible Chinese moves around the first and second island chains, the South China Sea and the wider Pacific.

Hegseth stressed that these areas are strategically important for U.S. security and for maintaining an American military presence across the Asia-Pacific region.

He told Forbes that China’s military buildup in the Pacific may be the largest seen in modern history and possibly in world history.

U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier said China now has the world’s second most powerful military. According to Rubio, the pace of modernization in the Chinese armed forces and navy already allows Beijing to expand its military presence and project power far beyond its own region.