WASHINGTON: United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth held his first conversation with his Chinese counterpart and stressed that the US does not seek conflict with China, but will protect its vital interests in the Asia-Pacific region, the Pentagon said on Wednesday (Sep 10). China is Washington's main geopolitical rival and Hegseth angered Beijing in May when he urged regional allies to spend more on defence after warning of the "real and potentially imminent" threat from China. Pentagon