Responding to reports that the US Department of Defense plans to send policy officers and other personnel to Taiwan’s defence ministry and invite US personnel to observe the Han Kuang exercises — a move a Taiwan defence official said would elevate military coordination — China’s defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang warned collusion 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

Responding to reports that the US Department of Defense plans to send policy officers and other personnel to Taiwan’s defence ministry and invite US personnel to observe the Han Kuang exercises — a move a Taiwan defence official said would elevate military coordination — China’s defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang warned collusion 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.