TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Senior Chinese military and diplomatic officials asserted China’s "one China" principle at a two-day meeting held in the Pentagon on Monday and Tuesday (Jan. 8-9).

Major General Song Yanchao (宋延超), deputy director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, attended the defense talks. According to reports, Song said that China will never compromise on the Taiwan issue and asked the U.S. to abide by the "one China" principle, per CNA.

Song also expressed his wishes for a healthy and stable military-to-military relationship with the U.S. He voiced concerns regarding China’s “core interests” and international hotspots.

In response, in an official press release by the U.S. Department of Defense issued on Tuesday (Jan. 9), the U.S. asserted its commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Additionally, in a separate seminar event on Tuesday (Jan 9), the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng (謝鋒) said the Taiwan issue is the most important in U.S.-China relations. Xie added, “No one values peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait more than China" and “Taiwan independence and peace across the Taiwan Strait are incompatible.”

The defense talks, officially called the U.S.-PRC Defense Policy Coordination Talks, were supposed to be held annually but were canceled by Beijing following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022. The talks have since resumed this year.