The Chinese Military Is Now Making Threats of War against the US Because Trump Spoke with Taiwan

The US defense budget for 2017 includes a section on the US-Taiwanese military exchange program, which China regards as interference in its domestic affairs. The legislation comes on the heels of US President-elect Donald Trump's controversial remarks on the "One China" policy.



Beijing strongly opposes US-Taiwanese military cooperation, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying signaled at a press briefing on December 26, commenting on the adoption of the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.



"We are firmly against the Taiwan-related contents in the US act…. We are strongly discontent with the US for signing this act," Hua emphasized.



For the first time since 1979, the document includes a section that allows high-ranking civilian officials and military officers to visit Taiwan for exchanges.



"The Secretary of Defense should carry out a program of exchanges of senior military officers and senior officials between the United States and Taiwan, designed to improve military to military relations between the United States and Taiwan," the legislation says.



It further specifies that the term "senior military officer" means a general or flag officer of the Armed Forces on active duty, while the term "senior official" is used in the document to describe "a civilian official of the Department of Defense at the level of Assistant Secretary of Defense or above."



Hua stressed that the Taiwan question "falls entirely within China's domestic affairs." "Although the Taiwan-related content in the US Act has no binding legal force, it still severely violates the three joint communiqués and interferes in China's domestic affairs. China will by no means accept this," she highlighted.