BEIJING (AP) — China on Sunday denounced U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for calling the Asian country a threat , accusing him of touting a Cold War mentality as tensions between Washington and Beijing further escalate. The foreign ministry said Hegseth had vilified Beijing with defamatory allegations the previous day at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security conference. The statement also accused the United States of inciting conflict and confrontation in the region. “Hegseth