TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s foreign ministry Monday denied the existence of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense after US-made Abrams tanks arrived in Taiwan.
On Monday, the MND announced that the first 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks out of 108 purchased from the US arrived at Hsinchu County's Hukou Township. When asked to comment on the MND's announcement, China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian (林劍) claimed he was correcting the reporter by saying “There is no such thing as the ‘Ministry of National Defense’ in Taiwan.”
Lin said China firmly opposes US-Taiwan military ties and US arms sales to Taiwan. The spokesperson urged Washington to adhere to Beijing's “one-China” principle and the three China-US Joint Communiques, especially the “August 17 Communique," and stop arming Taiwan or supporting "Taiwan independence forces in seeking independence by force.”
Lin said the Taiwan government's attempts to "seek independence through military means" and "rely on foreign forces for independence" will fail. He said China will defend its national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
In the communique, issued on Aug. 17, 1982, the US pledged that its weapons sales to Taiwan “will not exceed, either in qualitative or quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China." It added that Washington intends to gradually reduce its arms sales to Taiwan.
However, in an internal presidential memo on the same date, former President Ronald Reagan said discussions before the signing of the communique were “premised on the clear understanding that any reduction of such arms sales depends upon peace in the Taiwan Straits.” He said that US policy on arms sales to Taiwan would depend on China's commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue.
On Tuesday, DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) took to X to correct Lin by saying Taiwan does have a Ministry of National Defense and spelled out the word "National." Wang wrote that Taiwan's soldiers "cherish democracy and freedom, and they are dedicated to defending Taiwan."
Wang directly called out Lin's X handle and directed him to the Ministry of National Defense X page (@MoNDefense).