At a routine press briefing in Beijing, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense issued a sharp reminder to Washington regarding the sensitive nature of cross-strait relations. Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, the ministry's spokesperson, responded to reports of a $14 billion backlog in US arms deliveries to Taiwan and the recent unveiling of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA includes a $1 billion 'Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative' aimed at bolstering the island's defensive capabilities.
While the reported delay of a multi-billion dollar arms package has sparked debate in Taipei, Beijing remains focused on the broader trajectory of American legislative support for Taiwan. The $1 billion initiative in the upcoming fiscal year’s defense budget signals a formalized, long-term commitment from the US House of Representatives. Beijing views these fiscal allocations not merely as bureaucratic steps, but as a direct challenge to the foundational agreements of the US-China relationship.
Spokesperson Jiang emphasized that the United States must strictly adhere to the One China principle and the three joint communiqués, specifically highlighting the August 17 Communiqué of 1982. This particular agreement remains a flashpoint of contention, as it technically committed the United States to gradually reducing arms sales to Taiwan—a promise Beijing argues has been systematically ignored by successive American administrations.
The rhetoric from the Ministry of National Defense suggests a desire for the US to translate high-level diplomatic consensus into concrete restraint. By urging the US to be 'extremely cautious' and to act in a way that maintains the stability of military-to-military ties, Beijing is signaling that the current pace of security cooperation between Washington and Taipei is reaching a threshold that could undermine the fragile stabilization achieved in recent bilateral summits.