Beijing urges US to drop anti-China provisions in the defense bill.
China’s Foreign Ministry said it was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the provisions in the US defense bill and had repeatedly lodged protests with Washington.
Ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqun said at a press conference that the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the US Senate on Wednesday “exaggerates China’s threat and harms China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.”
The spokesman said the US should be realistic about its relations with China, stressing that Beijing would take decisive measures to defend itself.
The US Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday local time to approve the US$901 billion military budget, which sets out the policies and budget of the Department of War (Pentagon) for 2026
The bill claims to counter Chinese threats and ensure the success of missions in the Indo-Pacific. The bill also includes $1 billion in funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative.
US President Donald Trump also recently signed the National Defense Authorization Act. In a lengthy statement released by the White House, Trump said the legislation would advance his “peace through strength” agenda, strengthen America’s homeland security and defense industrial base, while eliminating “wasteful and excessive programs” that undermine the military’s morale.