She said the bedrock of the bilateral relationship remains with the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for self-defense. The act of U.S.

-drafted Article 9 renounces war and long limited the country to defensive “Self-Defense Forces” rather than a conventional military. China spends far more.

The TRA authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense. Since China could invade Taiwan, Easton said the United States and other democratic governments need to be prepared.

Before becoming the chief of the PLA’s navy in 2021, he served as deputy commander of a force unit currently known as the Eastern Theater Command Navy, which was responsible for conducting drills in the water and air near Taiwan, a self-ruled island that

China sees self-governing Taiwan as a part of its territory to be united with the mainland, by force if necessary.​​ ​​

He stressed the importance of self-sufficiency, noting that it would enable the domestic defense industry to produce unmanned aerial, maritime, and ground systems, thereby strengthening smart and sustainable defense capabilities.

TAIPEI, Taiwan—The U.S. 7th Fleet said a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions.

US Support ARIA also stresses U.S. partnership with Taiwan, including continuing arms sales to the island for self-defense, and encouraging U.S. officials to go on diplomatic visits to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Travel Act.

Most recently, on May 1, the two countries reaffirmed the need for peace across the Taiwan Strait amid the CCP’s intimidating actions against the self-ruled island.

"Some of the equipment we are just going to leave here" until the next joint drills, he told Reuters on a visit on Thursday to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force base on Amami Oshima, part of an island chain stretching toward Taiwan.

’s self-defense during the initial moments of a Chinese invasion, before help arrives.

It has stated that it would endeavor to absorb Taiwan by peaceful means but has repeatedly threatened to annex the self-ruled island by force.

Newsham said it is important "for the Americans to sit down with the JSDF [Japan self-defense forces] and TAF [Taiwan Armed Force] and systematically state what is needed ... what the Americans will do and what the Japanese and the Taiwanese will do."

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he could not give details on how the military would counter the incursions. He did say, however, that Taiwan's military would react on the principle of "self-defense."

The ministry said it was in full control of the situation during the U.S. warships' route through the Taiwan Strait, the self-ruled island's defense ministry said in a statement. The U.S. navy conducted a similar mission in July.

Kirby described the visit as a “normal practice” by the U.S. government under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a U.S. law that requires Washington to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.

However, while the United States and Taiwan have a strategic partnership and cooperation relationship, it is not a formal mutual defense alliance, Shen said. For Taiwan, the primary approach is passive defense, he said.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has never ruled Taiwan, considers the self-governed island a renegade province and has never ruled out the possibility of using military force to control it.

Facing Chinese pressure, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has called attention to strengthening the island’s self-defense capabilities.

In December 2025, the Cabinet approved a record $784 billion defense budget as part of a five-year plan to strengthen deterrence. Japanese F-15 jets fly during the military review at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Asaka training ground on Oct. 27.

Washington currently has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has maintained a robust relationship with Taipei based on the Taiwan Relations Act, which authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense

Pistorius, the German army is scheduled to hold joint drills with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force next year. This will be the first formal joint exercise between the two countries' land forces since World War II. Retired Maj. Gen.

News that Taiwan has been invited to RIMPAC is positive, as would be exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and in the Malabar exercises hosted by India.

Chinese incursions into Taiwan have occurred almost daily as the CCP increased military pressure on the self-ruled island.

President Joe Biden committed to defending Taiwan if the self-ruled island was attacked by China.

The CCP has never ruled Taiwan before but views the self-ruled democracy as part of its territory to be taken by force if necessary.

–Taiwan defense cooperation as essential to preserving peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan had noted repeated statements from Trump and U.S.

The hotline was established to link the leadership of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) at the nation’s defense ministry with Chinese defense ministry officials.

Beijing consistently claims self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory and has never renounced using force to bring the island under its control.

Tensions between self-ruled Taiwan and Beijing have been escalating, with China making its recent largest incursion into Taiwan's air defense zone on May 6 with fighter jets and bombers.