Responding to reports that the US Department of Defense plans to send policy
officers and other personnel to Taiwan’s defense ministry and invite US
personnel to observe the Han Kuang exercises — a move a Taiwan defense official
said would elevate military coordination — China’s defense ministry spokesman
Zhang Xiaogang warned collision with external forces and attempts to use force
for independence are the root of cross‑strait instability. He said Taiwan
independence is a dead end and outsiders cannot be relied on, and that
reunification is both necessary and inevitable. Zhang urged the US to strictly
adhere to the one‑China principle and the three China‑US joint communiqués,
handle the Taiwan issue with extreme caution, cease any form of official
exchanges and military contact with China’s Taiwan region, and take concrete
steps to maintain stable, healthy and sustainable bilateral and military ties.
